MILLWALL have confirmed that all of their contracted players will be taking wage cuts this summer.
Every player agreed to a salary decrease triggered by relegation when they joined the club – and those changes will now come into effect.
It means the Lions are protected from the financial hit of losing their Championship status, estimated to be £3million-a-year in annual revenue.
Chief executive Andy Ambler said: “That’s been our policy. If a player hasn’t accepted that policy, then they haven’t signed for us.
“It’s a best practice for all clubs and it’s absolutely right – you reward players if they do well and they have to take the consequences of failure.”
Ambler says preparations for League One are well-advanced and that player recruitment will begin immediately.
He said: “There are some gaps that need filling but the majority of the team that finished the season are contracted for next year.
“Left back is certainly a position that needs addressing and it’s clear that we need an experienced striker and centre back. We can go from there.
“There will probably be at least five new signings but it’s not a wholesale change.
“What we want to see is some of our younger players come through, do well and fill those holes in the squad.
“But we know we have to recruit, we know that we need experience to supplement our home-grown talent and we’ve been working hard on that for weeks.”
Manager Neil Harris intends to strengthen one area of his squad in particular.
“Striker-wise we’re definitely looking to boost the ranks to add to the quality and mix we’ve got already up front,” he said.
“We’re definitely looking at strikers but there is room to improve in all areas.
“Once we’ve settled on who’s staying for next season, it will be clear to see where we’ve got competition for places and where we don’t.”