Rotherham United trying to cover all options on future of four key players

Preliminary talks have been held with the quartet, but the prospects of them staying and committing their futures is likely to be heavily dependent on the Millers’ status at the end of the season.

Warne’s side are currently in the final relegation position and trail fourth-from-bottom Birmingham City by three points.

But they have four games in hand on the Blues and three on Coventry City, who are four points higher than them in the Championship table heading into the resumption of business after the international break. The Millers start off their Easter programme with a trip to Millwall on Good Friday (April 2).

Birmingham and Coventry must visit the AESSEAL New York Stadium before the end of the season, along with Wycombe, who head to Rotherham on Easter Monday.

On the situation with the four players, Warne said: “A bit sticky, I would say. All four players are players who are doing well for us and who foresee their careers in the Championship.

“So we all pretend it’s something else, but I believe they want to play in the Championship and earn as much money as they can and play in front of as big a crowds as they can and how can I blame them?

“They are happy to talk about it at the end of the season, the old classic. Pep (Guardiola) said the other day that he has got so many games he has not even got time to consider a contract. It isn’t quite true. People like putting it onto the back-burner.

“The lads have that right, but if they don’t want to talk about it now, it means we have to replace them.

“If by the time they want to come back to me and sign and I have replaced them, then they know that risk as well. But I understand it from their point of view.”

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