Chester to cut squad size as they can't have everything

Chester keeper Wyll Stanway has left the club

Chester's manager has admitted the club will have a smaller squad this coming season so they can get the most out of their budget.

In a lengthy update to supporters, Blues boss Calum McIntyre said it was "an immensely busy time of year" and "there is so much to be excited about for the season ahead"

He said season tickets were "flying out", with 1,400 sold at early bird prices, the boost the budget campaign was "reflecting the incredible commitment of our supporters" and work is well underway on a football front.

He said he was looking to build a squad capable of delivering the club's aims but plans had suffered a setback as keeper Wyll Stanway has joined EFL Barrow.

"It is quite right that his performances have been recognised and he has been given a terrific opportunity to progress into full-time football at an EFL club," 30-year-old McIntyre said.

"An important part of our footballing model needs to be our ability to develop talent and move them on for transfer fees to allow us to grow our own resources.

"The deal we have done for Wyll is a really good one and I am hopeful that we can use the fee we have received to improve the wider group. Equally, there is the potential for further financial rewards in the future."

After speaking about the promising signing of hard-working, physical and athletic defensive midfielder Jack Bainbridge, who spent four years at Southport, he outlined how he was looking for experience, physicality and goals in his signings.

But that comes at a cost, McIntyre admitted, with the fan-owned club previously saying it was open to investment.

"Without sounding daft, the nature of needing to make some changes means that you have to make changes to allow you to do just that.

"We made decisions at the end of the season that allow us to free finance up to invest in areas where we needed to strengthen the group overall. In the same way, with a smaller squad, we needed to ensure we had players consistently available within those numbers. 

"The playing budget needs to be sliced up to allow us to get exactly what we need. We can’t have everything and prioritising is really important for us.

"We are going to work with a smaller squad to allow us to get the most we can for our money. This means we are making recruitment decisions based around players’ availability and this also played a big part in some [of] our retention decisions. With that in mind, we are really clear around our targets.

"It isn’t a blank canvas, it isn’t a reset and it isn’t a total restructure. We need to improve in key areas and we need to complement what we already have at the club."

He said the focus is securing the right players at the right time and isn’t about chasing attention by announcing a flurry of signings.

"We have what we have to spend and we can only operate within that budget," he said.

"We can’t spend what others in the division can but we can offer the opportunity to play at a massive football club in a really positive performance environment in front of some of the best supporters around. That is what sets us apart."