A NEW striker is being lined up to join Barrow AFC this weekend.

The lower-league target, whom the Bluebirds first approached last month after putting in seven days' notice of their intentions with his current club, has been in talks over the past two weeks.

Stumbling blocks, including interest from higher-division sides, and the potential for a trial at a Premier League club, appear to have been overcome.

Manager Paul Cox expects a deal to be finished on Saturday, with the potential the unnamed target – who has formerly been with a Football League club – could be part of the squad next week.

“We're looking to have something wrapped up with him by Saturday,” said Cox. “We don't know what the situation is 100 per cent yet.

“The lad wants to come, there is competition, but we're hopeful we can get something sorted out over this weekend.”

Cox and his staff are also continuing to look at a number of triallists, though not as many as in recent weeks following some disappointing individual displays in a behind-closed-doors game at Fleetwood.

The AFC boss still sees a need to add depth to his squad, following the recent acquisition of Harry Panayiotou, and said: “The squad still needs strengthening. I'm talking to individuals about it, we're to-ing and fro-ing.

“There haven't been the amount of triallists we have had in the past, but that doesn't mean we're not looking in the right areas.

“They have to be the right people at the right time, and the ones we had in weren't going to improve us. We moved on from that and we start the search again.”