PAUL Cox is already busy looking for Andy Cook’s potential replacement – even if the striker has yet to leave Holker Street.

Cook told the club this week that he wants to play in the Football League in 2016/17 rather than remain for a third season with Barrow AFC.

Nothing is set in stone – with Cook saying he would stay with the Bluebirds rather than move to another Conference club if the step up did not materialise – but Cox knows he can waste no time.

He is already in talks with potential new signings and their representatives, with at least two of those players being spoken to able to slot into the front line.

“I’ve been talking to people for a couple of months now – players’ representatives – and we have spoken to some very good players already now the season is finished,” said Cox, who will assemble current squad members for face-to-face meetings next week to discuss their futures.

“With the people I have got my eyes on, I would never want to close the door on options we have got.

“We’ve got to be realistic. Andy has scored 20-plus goals this season and we know that there are going to be a lot of football clubs out there interested.

“He and his agent have been honest with me and told me which clubs have come in and Andy has told me if it wasn’t to be the Football League, then his preference would be to sign for Barrow again – and there are some pretty big hitters who have come in for him from our level of football. That’s a positive.

“We’ve got to be patient. It’s really early days in the merry-go-round of players moving, managers moving – everyone is moving everywhere. I think patience is the key.

“If the players that we have highlighted come up and we have the chance to sign them, then I’ve got to do what’s in the best interests of Barrow.

“I’ve been in the game a long time now and I’m not just going to jump into the first player who bats his eyelashes at us.

“We’ve got to show due diligence on everybody we might sign – not just if they might be a good player, but their character, the way they perform under stress etc. All these factors will show how they will perform next season.”

Cox spoke with Cook’s agent on Tuesday, having met with the player himself alongside Barrow owner Paul Casson on Saturday – when an improved contract offer is thought to have been made.

The 25-goal striker has aroused interest from Barrow’s National League rivals, while Carlisle United manager Keith Curle admitted he was keeping an eye on the situation and Hartlepool are thought to be interested in snapping up a player who lives close to them.

Cox hopes the situation will be resolved one way or another in the near future, and praised Cook and his agent for their openness and honesty.

He added: “He has a desire and he thinks he’s got a good chance of playing in the Football League. As a football club, he’s scored 20-plus goals for us this season and done really well and I think we’ve got to understand that.

“At the same time, I’ve been honest with his agent and said that we’re going to be going after our targets.

“Communication is key. I will be touching base with his agent now every couple of days and seeing how the land lies. Andy’s agent has said he will keep me in touch with what he is doing.

“We want him to sign and we’ve put a very good offer on the table for him, but we understand that he wants to give himself the best opportunity to play league football.

“We have been totally honest with each other. I’ve said we can’t hang around and wait for people to make decisions.

“But those communication channels are firmly open and I think it will come to a conclusion sooner rather than later.”

Barrow have confirmed seven players are already on deals for next season.

Joel Dixon, Jordan Williams, Danny Livesey and Andy Haworth are among those already contracted for 2016/17, along with Ashley Grimes, Neil Ashton and David Mellor – the three of whom have rarely featured under Cox.