Exeter City boss Matt Taylor has played down the prospects of a loan return for Barrow AFC frontman Offrande Zanzala.

The striker spent the second half of the season with the Grecians.

But after Exeter secured automatic promotion to League One, Taylor has said he is looking at different targets.

Zanzala made 15 appearances and scored two goals in an injury-hit spell at St James' Park, having fallen out of favour at Barrow under former boss Mark Cooper.

Taylor told DevonLive that, whilst not completely ruling out the odea of returning for former loanees, Exeter's sights would be on other players as they prepare for life in a higher division.

“There is always a chance, but we are looking elsewhere to start with," he said.

"We have other targets, other profiles and other players we want to speak to.

“The group of players that came to us on loan have added certain attributes and skill set, and balanced off really well with the squad - and you never know what can happen in the future.

"We have to be strong in our minds that we are targeting a different type of profile to start off with.

"We might not achieve it and we might end up working with players we’ve worked with in the past, but we have to be quite bullish with our recruitment.”

Zanzala returns to Barrow this summer with a year left on his deal.

He made 27 appearances and scored five goals for the Bluebirds following last summer's move from Carlisle United.

He rejoins a Barrow squad still awaiting news on the identity of their next manager.

The club recently said they had approached another club for permission to speak to their top target.

Bolton Wanderers coach and ex-AFC player/coach Sam Hird has been widely tipped as one of the favourites for the Holker Street post along with FC Halifax Town boss Pete Wild.