BBC SPORT | Football | Teams | Leeds United | Ridsdale signals January sale

Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale has told manager Terry Venables that he must sell up to six players if he wants money to rebuild his squad.

Ridsdale revealed that he believes the Elland Road squad is currently too large.

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And he said that Venables will have to move on up to six of his more valuable players in January's transfer window before the board will sanction any new signings this season.

Ridsdale said: "I believe we are still carrying too many players. But we have a lot of players who are very valuable.

If we are not earning it then I'm not prepared to spend it

Peter Ridsdale
Leeds chairman

"Sometimes you have to generate cash to spend cash. We are not going to end up with 36 players rather than 30.

"We simply can't afford it," he told the News of the World newspaper.

The Leeds chairman added that he will meet Venables within the next few weeks to decide who will go and who will stay.

Have your say: Who should Leeds sell?

"We have spent too much in the market without recouping," Ridsdale said.

"Terry and I will sit down before January and agree what the ideal size of the squad is for the balance of the season.

"You have to buy and sell - it is part of normal trading. But if we are not earning it then I'm not prepared to spend it - the company has to be financed properly.

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"We need to get the squad at the right level and then be prepared to reinvest."

Olivier Dacourt, Lee Bowyer, Michael Duberry, Ian Harte, Michael Bridges and Robbie Fowler have all been tipped for a possible Elland Road exit.

But Ridsdale insisted that crowd favourite and rising star Alan Smith would not be among those sold to reduce Leeds' �77m debts.

He said: "If you cut Alan in half he has Leeds United running through him.

"I can't envisage any circumstances that would make him leave."