Fees, frees or a bit of both? Boss Matt Hamshaw answers a question on Rotherham United's approach to signings

He isn't ruling out the Millers paying fees to take players from other clubs but neither is he confirming that it will definitely happen.

The boss says that he and chairman Tony Stewart will plot the way forward between them as they seek to bring the good times back to AESSEAL New York Stadium following the disappointing 2024/25 League One campaign that cost Steve Evans his place in the hot-seat.

“I can't really comment about that yet,” Hamshaw said when the Advertiser asked him if recruitment would involve the outlay of fees rather than just the arrival of free agents. “I haven't really had conversations about that yet.

“The chairman has been really open and honest with me and just told me to bring things to him. I'm doing that. Every individual decision will be made in that way.

“I've said to him, I don't just want to go and blow loads and loads of money but, at the same time, we're going to need a bit of help.”

Evans had the benefit of Rotherham's biggest-ever League One playing budget during his 11-month tenure, with the figure being close to 50 per cent higher than the one with which Paul Warne won promotion to the Championship in 2022.

However, none of the Scot's 17 signings across two windows involved a transfer fee being paid and the majority went towards substantial wages.

“We need to strengthen in the right areas,” Hamshaw said. “It will be down to the chairman, the board and myself to say: ‘This is the one we need to move on.’

“If we can have that, great; if we can't, I won't be crying about it, I'll just move on to my next target.”

The manager has been in place for just over five weeks and has already drawn up his wanted list with the help of recruitment chief Rob Scott.

He is prepared to be patient and recognises that he will be still building his squad when the start of pre-season comes around at the end of June.

“You want all your players in like yesterday, don't you?” he said. “It would be nice to walk back in on that first day and have 22 players who you've hand-selected. That won't happen.

“We might have to wait for some, we might have to wait and see how others come back. I'm sure I will have to react during pre-season and I'll certainly have to react towards the back end of the window.”

The end of August always brings a burst of activity as Premier League clubs finalise their squads and there is a domino effect through the lower divisions as surplus top-flight players hit the market.

“It's important that we know our targets but are also actively ready should someone suddenly become available,” Hamshaw said.