OWNER Paul Casson is ready to talk transfers with Barrow AFC manager Paul Cox as the pair sit down this week.

The Bluebirds owner flew in from Texas on New Year’s Eve with wife Stephanie ahead of Saturday’s big FA Cup third-round tie against Rochdale (3pm kick-off).

That game will be one of the main focuses of his trip, but Cox has spoken of the need to strengthen his squad going into a crucial stage of the season and wants the chairman’s backing when it comes to bringing in new players.

Casson was cagey when asked if he was ready to open his chequebook and sign a player for a transfer fee for the first time this season, but recognised Cox wants to add to the ranks, and that better players are needed in certain areas.

“I’m sure he has lots of ideas,” Casson said of his face-to-face meeting with Cox – who has been installed by the bookies as one of the favourites for the vacant manager’s role at League Two relegation battlers Notts County, near to his home. “We talk often, so it’s not likely to be a surprise one way or another.

“There is nothing specific as yet, the transfer window has just opened, so we can’t say yet exactly what is going to happen.

“As Paul has said, they have to be better than what we have got. We’re not interested in bringing people in just to fill a slot, they have to be better, and we believe that might be quite difficult.”

Asked if he thought he would have to pay transfer fees, he added: “I don’t know. Not one name has been mentioned to me yet. I expect that will change.”

Casson does not expect a flurry of new faces to arrive at Holker Street in the next few days, pointing out that most moves during any transfer window take place towards its conclusion rather than at the start.

One exception may be the signing of a new goalkeeper following the season-ending knee injury to Joel Dixon and the end of Tim Erlandsson’s brief loan spell from Nottingham Forest.

However, the Holker Street owner pointed out Cox likes to meet with players face-to-face before bringing them in, and said: “It’s early days yet – he has a big, long list and that list changes daily. It’s very early days and not much happens early in the transfer window – quite often it takes a while before things start to happen. Most of the activity is in the final 10 minutes almost.

“The targets will tend to be someone he has already looked at. It’s rare, if ever, that a name comes out of the blue.

“He’s very careful about maintaining the harmony of the dressing room – he takes a lot of pride from the fact he has a personal interaction with most of the players, talks to them before he signs them.

“That process in itself can take time – we want to persuade them Barrow is the place they want to be and come to the conclusion they are going to add something.”