Town CEO Mark Ashton says he and manager Kieran McKenna have already begun work on recruiting for the Blues’ return to the Premier League.
Ashton says the pair have held meetings regarding strengthening a squad which only just over a year ago was largely playing in League One, for top-flight football. There will also be changes to the club’s scouting staff with head of recruitment Sam Williams departing for a role at Manchester United.
"Already begun,” Ashton told TownTV when asked about the search for players in a lengthy interview looking towards the campaign ahead with the additional three weeks automatic promotion rather than going through the play-offs affords them giving them vital additional time.
"Planning has already begun, Kieran’s in my office again today and we’re talking through how he wants the team to thrive in the division and be competitive in the division, the type of players he wants. We’ve been working through that.
"The recruitment team are now on that, there’ll be additions to the recruitment team, there’ll be some changes in that.
"But he’s very clear on what he wants and I think the processes will very much stay the same. It’s the type of player, the finances of that player that will differ and I think for me, the challenge comes with the more you’re spending on players, the bigger the finances, the bigger the contracts, the less you can get wrong.
"But we’re very clear on what we’re doing and what we’re looking for and Kieran’s in today and we’re well and truly under way.”
Town under Ashton and McKenna have notably concentrated on the domestic market when signing players up to now, but the CEO says that bringing in overseas recruits have always been in the club’s thoughts.
"I’d say it always has but the right player has got to pop up and fit the technical and tactical and financial specification and has got to be the personal fit that Kieran wants,” he added.
"We wouldn’t shy away from that but we won’t just take an overseas player for the sake of taking an overseas player.
"We’ve seen it already, the rumour mill is rife. I would just say to Town fans again, trust us, don’t believe what you hearing on social media. When it’s right, it will come from the football club and we will tell you what’s going on.”
He added: "We’re a newly promoted football club, we’re a strong financially positioned club and we will be used by agents and other stakeholders in the game to drive the prices of other players, to drive engagement of other players.”
In terms of holding onto current members of the squad, Ashton says being in the Premier League will help, but in any case the Blues were far from the soft touch he felt they were prior to the takeover.
"I think clubs probably look at us, whatever division they’re in, as a difficult club to take players from now,” he reflected.
"It felt like a selling club. We’re not a selling club now and that’s where the investment and the shareholders and the backing of that board and backing of that group is key because if someone tries to take a player from this football club, 1) it’s not going to be easy, 2) it’s going to be a very big number and 3) right now, I’m not sure any player wants to leave this football club.”
Regarding off-field recruitment, Ashton says the club probably won’t grow too much with most departments already at the strength required.
"The club will grow this summer but not hugely. It’s been an interesting debate. We set our standards in League One. We said we would build Premier League standards, Premier League infrastructure in League One and the Championship that we believed could carry us through to the Premier League.
"When you look at staffing off the pitch, there’ll be one or two but there won’t be 10 or 20 because we’re already there.
"There will be a growth in the media department. Why? Because it’s probably the one area that’s going to be stretched with the media demands.
"Kieran might tweak or turn the backroom staff, he may add one or two to it, but it’s no more than one or two.”