Doncaster Rovers: '˜Only Portsmouth likely to have bigger budget in League Two'

That is the view of the Rovers hierarchy, who say they are intent on securing promotion back to the third tier at the first attempt.

Chief executive Gavin Baldwin told The Star this week that next season’s budget will be on par with what the club spent in League One last term.

Rovers have signed seven new players to date: Tommy Rowe, Mathieu Baudry, Ross Etheridge, Joe Wright, Matty Blair, Gary McSheffrey and John Marquis.

Nathan Tyson and Gary MacKenzie have departed - and a few more are expected to follow them through the exit door before the start of the season.

While the remaining players have taken wage cuts, some thought to be as high as 50 per cent.

“The budget will be on par with the League One budget, yes,” said Baldwin.

“It’s easy for clubs to say this, and clubs have said it in the past, but quite genuinely if we haven’t got the second or third highest budget in League Two we’d be very, very surprised.

“We probably expect to sit just behind Portsmouth with their playing budget.

“We’d be surprised if anyone else has been given the same resources as us to get the promotion we’re after.”