NEWPORT County boss Anthony Hudson believes he still needs at least three or four more signings before the beginning of the Conference National campaign.
The Exiles find out next week their fixtures for the new season and have now returned to full training.
However, Hudson has been frustrated in his efforts to bring in players before the deadline he’d set himself – June 30 – but is confident it will be worth the wait as he rounds off his squad.
Hudson, who this week has also been working towards gaining his UEFA pro license, is still targeting midfield and defensive reinforcements but is closing in first on a new striker who if signed, comes with a big reputation as a non-league goalscorer.
"It’s been difficult, a little frustrating if I am honest but we are being patient and working towards bringing in the right players," he said.
"We want three or four more and we are working hard to bring in another striker, someone who at this stage I really don’t want to name or talk about specifically.
"It’s a long drawn out process but hopefully we can resolve it next week sometime."
The former Tottenham coach is fully confident that the club is on track to hit the ground running in mid August.
"We have six weeks until the season starts and I think we are going along pretty nicely in terms of the playing squad, we know what we want for the start of the season and we will get there," he said.
Hudson was also keen to add a dose of realism to the Exiles currently have four overseas triallists with the club, revealing it’s very early days in terms of making a decision on them.
County are keen to extend their scouting network and the effort to bring players over from abroad has been pioneered by financial benefactor Matt Southall.
However, Hudson, who is expecting more players from overseas in the coming weeks, admits it’s going to take something special for him to adjust his strategy.
"These guys have come over and have done well to be fair so far, we need to have a good, proper look at them and see what they have to offer," he said.
"What is certain is that having the ability to do this, look at players from abroad, is fantastic for the club, it’s an excellent opportunity for us.
"But unless they show me something really special, it’ll be hard to sign any of them because we have very specific roles in mind for the players we are looking to bring in."
The Argus will give a rundown of all the trialists at Newport next week with more on the way. However, we can reveal that rumoured names such as Olivier Dacourt and Robert Pires are incorrect.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here