Moore preparing to wield the axe at Millers

Both are keen to play at a higher level and have admirers in the Championship who plan to test the resolve of the Millers to hold onto their prized assets.

Manager Ronnie Moore is also planning to release up to 10 players as part of a major summer shake-up at Don Valley.

Captain Ian Sharps, midfielder Pablo Mills and defender Mark Lynch are out of contract and sweating over their futures.

Strikers Drewe Broughton and Andy Liddell are likely to be shown the door alongside Marc Joseph, Andy Nicholas, David Haggerty and Micky Cummins, who have been unable to command regular places this season.

Veteran striker Paul Warne is another out of contract but is hoping to be kept on as part of Moore's backroom team.

In addition, the Millers are also likely to wave farewell to four loan signings who have been involved in the club's promotion push – Blackburn Rovers duo Marcus Marshall and Gavin Gunning, Reading winger Abdulai Bell-Baggie and Middlesbrough midfielder Josh Walker.

Moore said: "We have 12 players out of contract but they are not all going to go. However, I do need to reduce the size of the squad because we have too many. That might sound an unusual thing for a manager to say but we have 24 and we need to come down to 18."

The possible sale of Le Fondre and Law, who only joined the club last summer, will boost Moore's transfer kitty while the other departures will release money for wages.

Moore admits that Sunday's defeat against Dagenham and Redbridge in the League Two play-off final has resulted in the collapse of some transfer deals.

"Some of the players we had lined up will certainly not be coming now because we have failed at the final hurdle," he said. "I will be busy bringing in players over the next few weeks but we are behind everyone else because we didn't know what division we were in."

Although aware of the speculation surrounding Le Fondre and Laws, Moore stressed that he wants both to stay and "won't be upset if the phone doesn't ring this summer."

Looking ahead, Moore said: "There is going to be a lot of travelling for us. The teams that have come down – Southend, Wycombe, Gillingham – are all decent teams. There is no easy league and it is never easy to get out. You have to take the opportunities when they come."