Leeds strikers Mark Viduka and Alan Smith will almost certainly be sold at the end of the season after the club was effectively relegated on the weekend.
Leeds director and former player Peter Lorimer also said the position of caretaker manager Eddie Gray will be discussed at a board meeting later on Tuesday.
Leeds’ 4-1 loss to Bolton on Sunday means the club will be relegated from the Premier League for the first time. Lorimer said the biggest effect will be on player wages.
”We have a massive squad, lots of players on massive money and we can’t afford that in the Nationwide [first division] so there obviously has to be some movement of players,” Lorimer told television programme GMTV.
”Mark Viduka is on a very, very big wage so he has probably got to go. Alan Smith has said that Nationwide is no good for his career and we do appreciate that.
”He is 23 years of age, he is a possible England player and playing in the Nationwide will not help his career so we do appreciate certain players will need to go for their own careers. It is not all one-way, this situation.”
Lorimer said goalkeeper Paul Robinson will also likely leave after an offer to move to Tottenham fell through last year. Dominic Matteo and James Milner are also expected to be sold.
”There is no panic at Leeds, believe me, and we can afford to wait to get the best price possible for players when we do sell them. We won’t be forced to sell them on the cheap,” Lorimer said.
The future of Gray, who took temporary control of Leeds in November when Peter Reid was fired, will also be discussed.
”Eddie has done a good job but he has been in the job on a temporary basis holding the fort,” Lorimer said. ”He will come in and tell us what he thinks about the club. We will have an orderly meeting where we try to sort the club out from top right down to the bottom.”
Lorimer was optimistic Leeds could return to the Premier League in one season.
”We have five under-21 internationals at the club and we have some very good players who will still be here,” Lorimer said.
”Blend them together, add one or two, and I would like to think we would be challenging to get back in the Premiership at the end of next season.” — Sapa-AP