Jon Whitney plotting talks with Walsall stars

The Saddlers are still waiting to hear from 11 players who were offered new deals at the end of the campaign, among them Romaine Sawyers, Sam Mantom and Anthony Forde.

Whitney has already identified possible replacements after accepting some players are likely to depart. But he admits the club are effectively in 'limbo' until they get definitive answers.

"I will be calling round this week to see if they can give me heads up of where they are at," said Whitney. "The sooner I know the sooner I can go for my targets.

"It is a merry-go-round, it happens every year and things will really start kicking on from next week onwards.

"We have targets but that will be dependent on who accepts our offers.

"You come in every day and want to get things rolling but you can't start pushing until you know what the squad is going to be.

"We are ready for it. We have a Plan B and Plan C as well."

Sawyers, who has been offered a three-year deal, is among those expected to depart with Brentford his most likely destination.

Mantom, who has been offered a two-year contract, is attracting interest from newly-promoted Barnsley.

The Saddlers are also braced for offers for top scorer Tom Bradshaw.

The 23-year-old has a year left remaining on his contract but is attracting interest from a host of Championship clubs, with Preston making an enquiry last month.

Whitney remains hopeful of keeping the majority of a squad which finished third in League One intact but accepts they cannot compete with clubs from a higher level who have much deeper coffers.

"I am going to speak to the players as a friend, not as a manager," he said. "I want them to be honest.

"If it is two or three hundred pounds we are talking about then I have a chance.

"The environment we have got, for them to enjoy what they do every day is an incredible thing in football.

"There are many teams who don't have it and have large egos and cliques.

"If we are talking thousands, however, it is difficult for us to compete. That is the way football is.

"I wish these guys all the best because they have given themselves this opportunity and been so loyal to Walsall. But I will do my best to try and keep them."

Whitney last week signed a three-year contract to become the club's manager, having spent the last three months of the season as interim boss.

The 45-year-old, who had been the Saddlers physio for more than a decade, revealed he received several offers to join other clubs as a performance coach but believes he has made the right choice.

"I have taken this because it is an incredible opportunity for me as a person and it is an incredible opportunity for the club," he said.

"I think we can help each other. It's excitement with a bit of anticipation.

"It is going to be a challenge."