Although they put up a brave fight, Championship outfit Peterborough United will be plying their trade in the third tier of English football next season.

They previously looked as though they may take the relegation race to the wire following back-to-back victories against Blackburn Rovers and Barnsley, with the latter victory providing a real morale boost as they all but relegated the Tykes whilst providing their own survival boost.

Despite a brave defensive display against Nottingham Forest last weekend though, a Sam Surridge goal shortly before the interval was enough to confirm relegation for Grant McCann's men and with this, there are likely to be changes in the summer.

 

 

Needing to adapt back to League One, some of their prized assets may be sold on to reduce their wage bill and provide them with the revenue needed to continue operating effectively, something you can guarantee owner Darragh MacAnthony will be keen to do.

With this though, they will need to bring a few in to provide them with the squad depth needed to challenge for promotion back to the second tier at the first time of asking, an ambition manager McCann will have after managing to achieve this at Hull City.

Director of Football Barry Fry and other club officials are likely to be preparing for the summer already, so with this in mind, we are taking a look at two changes we could see at the Weston Homes Stadium this summer.

A change in captain

According to the Daily Mail, current captain Oliver Norburn requested to leave the club back in January and although Posh managed to retain him during the winter window, the summer could bring a fresh challenge to the Cambridgeshire outfit.

Managing to demnstrate his worth in the second tier, the midfielder could still be seeking a move at this stage with the club now guaranteed to be dropping down to the third tier, a division he wanted to get away from last year when he signed from Shrewsbury Town.

Siriki Dembele's transfer to AFC Bournemouth earlier this calendar year shows the second-tier strugglers are willing to cash in on wantaway players for the right price - and with two years remaining on Norburn's contract - it would make sense to move him on now to generate the best possible price for his services.

It would be easier to make this alteration in the summer as opposed to the winter because they will have longer to replace him, something that's important considering he's not only an integral midfielder to their cause, but also their skipper.

Their recruitment team may already have a shortlist of players to pursue in the event that the 29-year-old goes, with previous bidders Blackpool a potential destination considering Neil Critchley's men are still on the search for a midfielder.

A Hull City-themed revamp

Former Hull boss McCann may be monitoring some of his former players at the MKM Stadium ahead of the summer with some of these players serving him well over the past couple of seasons, managing to win promotion before getting to a safe place in the second tier earlier this season prior to his dismissal.

Forward Mallik Wilks has already been linked with a move south and it wouldn't be a surprise if more Tigers were to come up in reports, especially when you consider the number of players that are set to leave the club for free in the summer as things stand.

A move for someone of George Honeyman's quality is unlikely and he may be offered fresh terms by Acun Ilicali anyway - but Tom Huddlestone could potentially come in as a figure in the middle of the park to replace Norburn.

In fact, McCann may be able to tempt quite a few other Hull players to the Weston Homes Stadium for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the Northern Irishman left East Yorkshire in an amicable way, managing to guide the Tigers to a safe position before his departure.

And secondly, Ronnie Edwards' potential sale, with the teenage centre-back being valued between £15m and £20m, may allow the second-tier outfit to offer sizeable contracts to potential signings.