Brendan Wiredu blow for Rotherham United ... and there's been a second setback on the recruitment front

Manager Matt Hamshaw has made strengthening his backline one of his top pre-season priorities and the Millers submitted offers to the player's club, Fleetwood Town.

Negotiations had reached an advanced stage, but Plymouth Argyle entered the frame late on and the 25-year-old is now set to move to Home Park rather than AESSEAL New York Stadium.

The Pilgrims were able to put more money on the table than Rotherham who are spending more conservatively this summer following last year's club-record third-tier outlay under the previous management regime.

Hamshaw had identified Wiredu, who has been with Fleetwood since 2022 and leaving Colchester United, as a main target and will be frustrated at missing out

However, the club are on the trail of several other centre-halves and will now focus their attention on those.

“We're keeping looking,” the boss said. “We're in hot pursuit of centre-backs and we're in hot pursuit of wing-backs. We're also looking for midfielders.”

The Millers had been hoping to announce the arrival of a midfielder this week, before they fly out for a week-long camp in Portugal on Saturday.

Terms with the free agent had been agreed and the player was in Rotherham, but the deal fell through because of a last-minute hitch.

So far, the club have added only two players – midfielder Kian Spence and goalkeeper Ted Cann – to their squad and August 2 opening day is only a month away.

Meanwhile, Rotherham have their first pre-season outing on Friday evening when they play non-league side Parkgate FC in the annual friendly between the two clubs at Roundwood (kick-off 6.45pm).

The match will be watched by a sell-out crowd of 1,000 spectators and players and staff will mingle with supporters afterwards.

Hamshaw isn't expecting too much from his men after putting them through arduous, twice-a-day sessions since they returned from their off-season break a week ago.

“The lads are going to be ‘leggy’, they're going to be fatigued,” he said. “They'll be struggling a bit, if I'm being honest.”

“The game has become a tradition and we really enjoy playing Parkgate.

“It will be nice to see the fans again before we go off and do more hard work in Portugal.”

Players and staff were in action in a different sport last night when they took part in a charity cricket match against Wickersley CC at Northfield Lane.

Hamshaw, assistant manager Dale Tonge and coaches Andy Warrington and Richard Wood were among those pulling on the pads in aid of Rotherham Hospice.