Steve Evans explains why key midfielder leaving on eve of new season is right for Rotherham United

But the Millers manager has got a replacement lined up, and hopes to have new faces on board before the first home league game of the season, against Bristol Rovers on August 17.

They will be a man down for their opening game back in League One, at Exeter City on Saturday, however, with Rathbone on the verge of completing a move to another club in the division.

It is a blow as the Manchester United youth product has been a good servant since joining from Rochdale three years ago, but Evans was determined not to lose the 27-year-old on a free transfer.

"A valuation has been agreed and a transfer has been agreed," confirmed Evans, who has signed 13 new players to date this summer. "As we speak now, young Ollie is at that club having a medical, having agreed terms last night despite our endeavours to keep him here.

"We'd proposed a new contract. Ollie made it clear that the move was something he wanted to pursue. Reluctantly, the board agreed and passed that detail to me. It looks like Ollie will be departing for pastures new.

"It's a blow to lose any good player. It's part and parcel of football.

"I think if there is one criticism of Rotherham United at board level it's that they've allowed contracts to run down in the past and good players have left for very low fees or nothing. Part of my remit in coming back here, given to me by the chairman, was to maximise values all across the playing side of the club.

"When I was asked to place a valuation on Ollie, I did. Our board members told me that that valuation had been met by the interested club. It's a significant, reasonably substantial fee for League One. You have to understand that it's the right exercise for this club."

Work on bringing in a replacement – as well as a winger and a player in the hole behind the strikers – will restart after Saturday's game, and Evans will have the Rathbone fee to invest.

"I've been with our chairman three or four times in the last few days discussing my options, the alternatives, if this scenario was going to unfold and I've just been to the board this morning presenting on a number of subjects," he said.

"One of the things was the fee accrued, the wages we save and I've been told to come back with my preferences in terms of adding to the group.

"(Head of recruitment) Rob Scott has been very active for the last 24, 48 hours for us to again strengthen our group.

"We've significant interest in a couple of players. It's not one.

"We lose something that's very, very good and we gain something that's also very good. It maximising the value which is something our supporters have criticised the football club for.

"We're deep in dialogue with some clubs. People will know you can't just have one option because if it hits a dead end you've nowhere to go, you fall off a cliff.

"We've got two or three good options in the positions we'd like to fill.

"There's priorities in which order you'd take them but we're a long way down the road.

"Nothing will happen for Exeter because we have a 12 noon deadline and Ollie Rathbone's move out was only sanctioned by the chairman last night and as Tony Stewart does, he got some extra bits in the deal for Rotherham.

"Our focus now has to be Exeter but from when we leave Exeter it will be adding to a the very talented group we've got.

"The one thing I spoke to our chairman about is we don't want to act in haste. We've probably seen this coming for the best part of maybe a week in all honesty. They upped their bid several times to get to the value.

"We can't have that going on in the background and do nothing about it, that would be criminal. We will hopefully have added to the group by this time next week."