Chester have offered three player free transfers in a bid to free up the wages to sign Ricky Ravenhill on a permanent deal.
Graham Allen and Jermaine McSporran, who both only arrived at the club in the summer, are two of the players to be told their futures lie elsewhere. Chairman Stephen Vaughan told the Chester Daily Post: "We are now meeting the League next Thursday to talk about the situation, the League have been extremely helpful and we hope to clarify a number of points.
"The situation means we have to allow certain players to leave before we can bring others in. If we are to complete the signing of Ricky Ravenhill from Doncaster, we have to release others. Manager Mark Wright has spoken to three players and told them that their futures lie elsewhere.
"Graham Allen and Jermaine McSporran are two of the trio. We have had enquiries from Nationwide Conference clubs for both, but the four clubs concerned all want to take them on loan, with us part-subsidising their wages, so that is not satisfactory, but we are examining the option. We have targeted other players to bring in, but at the moment we basically have to move people out before we can bring anybody in."
Mark Wright, however, has admitted that their promotion target may be difficult this season after so many changes to the squad in the summer: "We've got 16 new players and to get them to bed down and reach a high standard overnight would be difficult. It's about learning about one another and learning what (assistant manager) Graham Barrow and myself are like and the shape we want to stick to.
"But do we want promotion? Yes we do, and we think we've let ourselves down in our last two league games. Promotion is what we're looking for but maybe this year will come a little bit too soon."
Meanwhile, a Chester City player was attacked after yesterdays game at Torquay by a man, described as in his late 60's, wielding a plastic corner flag. The player declined to press charges, and the man was given a £80 fixed penalty and banned from Plainmoor for life. The FA will now investigate the incident.