Livingston skipper Nicky Devlin appears headed for the exit at the end of the season.
The 29-year-old is out of contract and gaffer David Martindale all but confirmed the club captain will end his four year stint in West Lothian when his contract expires.
Devlin signed from Walsall in 2019 and, aside from a knee injury that ruled him out for five months in his debut campaign, has been a near ever-present for the Lions.
Martindale admits he expects the full-back to be playing his football elsewhere next season and says there could be a few players set to leave with Jack Fitzwater, Jason Holt, Stephane Omeonga and Andrew Shinnie heading the list of out of contract players alongside the captain.
The boss said: “I think we will have a big turnover of players. We have Nicky Devlin who has been one of our best players over the last few years and has been brilliant for us.
“His wife has just had a wee one and he probably has to look elsewhere. If he does leave then I will shake his hand and thank him from the bottom of my heart.
“I would love to sell him and make money for Livingston but it doesn’t always work like that.
“That’s the business model we want to have but sometimes it can’t happen. You can have players who have done well for you but teams are reluctant to spend £250,000 or £500,000 on a player who they can wait six months for and get for nothing. Jack Fitzwater probably falls into that category, too.
“The market they are going to they maybe aren’t going to a club spending that type of money.”
He added: “We have had honest conversations and I have no problems in terms of picking these boys for the team.
“They won’t change their attitude on the park and if you manage it properly it works in your favour.
“The boys are trying to put themselves in the shop window to get a move and they have to do well for Livingston every week. It would be nice to say to the likes of Nicky we can match what other clubs are offering him. I think Nicky and Jack would stay here if we could but I can’t offer them any more money.”
The boss insisted he had no ill feelings towards those who choose to move on - and even said it was the smart choice.
He commented: “I have boys playing every week who are on £700 a week and our average is £900. Agents aren’t stupid and although they will go down as good players for the club, we won’t help them pay their bills at 34.
“If you can build up some money in the bank that helps you after football then you have to do it.”
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