MORE new signings are imminent at Holker Street as Paul Cox prepares to cast an eye over triallists this midweek.

The Bluebirds manager will field a number of potential recruits in a behind-closed doors match against Fleetwood Town on Wednesday.

Two, in particular, are being watched closely – one a towering centre-half, who the manager rates highly after seeing him in action at training over the past few weeks.

A centre forward who has been playing for a lower-league club is also a target. Barrow put in seven days' notice to make an approach to sign him earlier this month, with talks now ongoing about a potential move.

Cox recognises it has taken time to add to the squad since the season started – though striker Harry Panayiotou arrived last week to add some extra strength to the forward line – but says that is down to the backroom staff ensuring they have the right men.

“It will be quite a slow process,” he said. “We've looked everywhere, because they've got to be right for us – the right age, the right price, they've got to improve us.

“Behind the scenes, me and the staff are working extremely hard. We're covering games all over the place. Sometimes you've got to be patient.

“It's all part of the building process. We're not just building for today, we're building for tomorrow as well, and that comes across in the ages of the players we are looking at.

“When you look at what we are competing against, the likes of Tranmere and Lincoln think they haven't got enough quality in depth. They've both got something like 30-man squads. Clubs like that are looking to strengthen and these are the clubs we are competing against. I don't think we need 30 players, but we need to be planning for the injuries, suspensions and losses of form.

“Eastleigh have signed Jamie Cureton last week and there have been other big names as well, and I've got to believe there are being record figures spent in this league this year. It amazes me when you enquire about players at this level, what they are earning.

“I think we've been shrewd and I don't think we have just signed players for today, but also for tomorrow. We've got some good young players, who I think will improve the more times goes on.”

He added: “We want to strengthen, but they've got to be the right people for us. I could have gone into the loan market a few weeks ago, but we've had to be very shrewd, get value for money, and also get players who have an unbelievable desire to better themselves and to be successful. That's hard to find.

“We've had more triallists in at training on a day-to-day basis and it has been tough sometimes on the first-team lads. But it has had to be done, because we need to look at them, I have to sit down with them and work out their mind-set and why they want to come to us.

“They've got to be right for Barrow Football Club.”