•  Rotherham United face a crucial summer in terms of decision-making, as 14 players are set to leave as free agents.
•  Retaining key players like Ollie Rathbone, Hakeem Odoffin and Tyler Blackett will be a priority for the club.
•  The club will have to assess the future of players like Cafu, considering their contributions and the division they will be playing in next season.

Rotherham United will hope to be playing Championship football next season but they face a battle to avoid relegation to League One.

Matt Taylor appears to retain the backing of the club chiefs and the majority of the fanbase as he looks to steer Rotherham clear of the drop for a second consecutive year.

How they fare in 2023/24 and which division they’re playing in next is likely to have a significant impact on their decision-making in the summer. They’ll have plenty of calls to make with 14 players out of contract at the end of the current season.

Here are the 14 Millers players currently set to leave as a free agent next summer…

1 Ollie Rathbone

We start the list with a player that Rotherham will be desperate to keep hold of. Ollie Rathbone has been outstanding for the Millers since he joined from Rochdale in 2021.

The club do hold a one-year option, which they will surely trigger if it looks as though he’s set to leave as a free agent.

2 Tyler Blackett

Tyler Blackett signed a one-year extension in the summer after arriving as a free agent late last season.

The 29-year-old defender has been a regular fixture for Rotherham this term and they’ll likely be keen to keep him.

3 Sean Morrison

Experienced centre-back Sean Morrison is another that joined last term and signed an extension in the summer.

At 32, any new deal would surely be a short-term one – particularly given his injury issues.

4 Jamie Lindsay

Jamie Lindsay is nearing the end of the two-year extension he signed in the summer of 2022.

The Scottish midfielder has amassed 139 appearances for Rotherham since joining from Ross County in 2019 but has been sidelined with injury this term.

5 Cafú

Cafu has proven a useful free-agent pick up so far for Rotherham – adding three assists in eight appearances since joining from Nottingham Forest in the summer.

He signed a one-year deal, which means the Championship club have a decision to make about his future at some point.

6 Grant Hall

Having spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan with the Millers, it was no surprise to see Grant Hall sign permanently on a free transfer in the summer.

The 31-year-old put pen to paper on a one-year deal so will be looking to earn an extension this season and returned from injury recently.

7 Hakeem Odoffin

After a fairly slow start to his Rotherham career, Hakeem Odoffin was able to make more of an impact last term and made a fast start to the current campaign before suffering an injury.

The 25-year-old is someone that the Millers will surely want to lock down no matter the division they’re playing in moving forwards.

8 Sam Clucas

33-year-old midfielder Sam Clucas signed up with Rotherham until the end of the season when he joined as a free agent last month.

He’s been a regular fixture in the side since as he looks to prove himself.

9 Shane Ferguson

Shane Ferguson has proven a shrewd addition for the Yorkshire club since his arrival in 2021.

It was no surprise to see the midfielder extend his stay in the summer and if he can get back to his best once he returns from injury, another extension could be forthcoming.

10 Lee Peltier

Another useful free transfer signing, Lee Peltier has made 38 appearances for Rotherham since his arrival in the summer of 2022.

Now 36, you’d imagine the defender will only be offered a short-term extension if the Millers look to keep him on.

11 Tolaji Bola

Former Arsenal academy player Tolaji Bola is yet to really prove himself at Rotherham.

His loan spell at Bradford City in the second half of last season wasn’t particularly convincing either so the 24-year-old has work to do.

12 Ciaran McGuckin

The first of three 19-year-olds on this list, midfielder Ciaran McGuckin’s five appearances in the early stages of the 2023/24 campaign suggest that Taylor is a fan.

If that is indeed the case, then the youngster, who signed a one-year extension in the summer, should be given a new deal at some point.

13 Curtis Durose

Fellow teenager Curtis Durose signed a new one-year deal alongside McGuckin in the summer.

The midfielder is on loan at non-league club Scarborough Atheltic until January.

14 Nathaniel Ford

Young goalkeeper Nat Ford has never made a senior appearance for the Millers but has been integrated into the senior group this term.

As such, it would be no surprise to see the 19-year-old get a new deal.