The new broom that has swept through Cheltenham Town since relegation from the Football League was confirmed two months ago still has plenty of sweeping to do.

Boss Gary Johnson has been hard at work throughout the summer taking steps to build a new-look squad that is capable of bouncing back into the League at the first attempt.

Eight players were released within days of the season ending and transfer-listed goalkeeper Trevor Carson took the departure count to nine when he completed a move to Hartlepool.

In their place have come six new recruits – many of whom have course and distance experience of life in the National League – with Johnson keen to make further quick additions.

But his ability to be able to further reshape his squad will be hit if the remaining five transfer-listed players do not depart the club.

Central defenders Matt Taylor and Jack Deaman, right back Lee Vaughan and forward duo Omari Sterling-James and Jamal Lawrence are the remaining players whose futures are up in the air.

While they are contracted to the club, and will join their teammates for pre-season training later in the week, Johnson still feels their futures are best served by moving on.

“I have spoken to all the lads and I felt that we needed a new brush to sweep through the club after what happened last year,” Johnson said.

“A few of them needed to find somewhere new and only Trevor has moved on from the six that we listed.

“I would be disappointed if the rest of them came back, knowing that they weren’t part of my plans as we want to get our new group together as quickly as we can.”

With a reduced budget to work with this term and at least two of the listed players likely to be on the higher end of the wage scale, getting them off the wage bill is key to giving Johnson fresh finance.

The budget was nearing capacity before right-back Jack Barthram became the sixth signing of the summer, and Johnson is keen that nothing gets in the way of his ability to strengthen.

“It can be a bit chicken and egg in terms of freeing up space in the budget,” he said. “But I can’t hold back on bringing people in because others don’t want to leave.

“I am world class at understanding budgets, but on the flip side I have to bring people in to get my squad in place.”