ADELAIDE United's razor gang is preparing budget cuts but a player exodus should help ease its financial burden before October's A-League season kick-off.

It's understood Cassio, Serginho van Dijk, Zenon Caravella, Jon McKain and Dario Vidosic are considering seeking a way out before their contracts come to an end.



Adelaide chairman Greg Griffin said he was aware of some players wanting a move at the end of the club's AFC Champions League group stage campaign in May.



"We got to look at it objectively," Griffin said. "Dario is proving to be the best player in the A-League and I hope Socceroos coach Holger Osieck embraces him."



Given the club may be forced to pay ex-coach Rini Coolen more than $1 million, players who want to leave may have wishes granted if United is forced to honour the Dutchman's four-year contract. The case is up for arbitration but a date is yet to be confirmed after Coolen was demoted from head coach status before leaving the club last December.



But since Reds officials last week told the squad during John Kosmina's extended contract announcement that players who want to leave the club would be free to do so, the ploy is deemed to be a cost-cutting measure.



Adelaide is seemingly aiming to balance its books with the club tipped to slash an estimated $1.1 million off next season's players' wages bill to use just the mandatory 85 per cent of the salary cap.



All squad players will meet Kosmina and Reds officials individually in an effort to determine who will stay and who will go.



Budget cuts have potentially affected the futures of Nigel Boogaard and Spase Dilevski current players coming off contract who have been overlooked in favour of the club recently signing inexpensive options.



Ricardo da Silva also off contract is perhaps the unluckiest player at the economical end of the salary scale with the attacking midfielder given just 24 minutes of game time since Kosmina took charge in December.



But the re-signing of defenders Iain Fyfe and Antony Golec and Gold Coast United's Daniel Bowles, 20, points to frugal spending by the Reds.



United this season spent its allowed $2.775 million salary cap in a reported $3.5 million outlay on players after van Dijk and Vidosic were listed as marquees outside the salary quota.



Van Dijk has had offers from abroad but felt the brunt of a $500,000 fee slapped on his head which was rejected by an Indonesian club less than a fortnight ago.



