Quinn will be on the lookout for new signings (Getty)

Cambridge United manager Jimmy Quinn has admitted the U's will be working to a tighter budget next season.

Seven players have left the club since the defeat by Exeter in the Blue Square Premier play-off final last month, and no new faces have arrived.

"We've set the budget for this new season which is a bit less than we spent last year," the U's boss told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

"We did go over budget last season. You need to cut your cloth accordingly."

Quinn released Courtney Pitt, Mark Peters, Leo Fortune-West, Dan Chillingworth and Michael Hyem following the 1-0 defeat at Wembley.

Captain Danny Brown, Lee Boylan, and Mark Convery are also believed to be available for transfer, while Mark Albrighton and Rob Wolleaston have joined Stevenage and Rushden respectively.

"The finances are up to nearly the limit on the budget so we had to release one or two players to free money to bring new players in," Quinn said.

"Sometimes there's got to be sacrifice and you will lose a player or two if it means freeing up a bit of money to do a bit of business."

However, despite the cost-cutting, Quinn is optimistic ahead of the new season.

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"Ben Farrell is going to come to the fore this year, we've got Stephen Reed in there and Darren Quinton," he said.

"There'll be plenty of players available and I've got one or two targets that I am chasing - there will be new faces coming to Cambridge."

Quinn also assured fans that one man who will definitely be staying at the Abbey is defender Wayne Hatswell.

He said: "Wayne Hatswell isn't going anywhere - Stevenage did enquire about Wayne and I said 'no'."