Barrow AFC are working through a ‘long list’ of things they need to do in order to prepare for next season, according to manager Ian Evatt.

With just five games of the current campaign remaining, the Bluebirds have already started to make steps in making sure they are capable of pushing higher up the National League come August.

They made a significant move last week after signing midfielder Lewis Hardcastle on a permanent basis after the 20-year-old impressed during his previous loan spell from Blackburn Rovers.

Evatt has already begun talking to players who he wants to remain at Holker Street, while he has identified other potential transfer targets that may be pursued during the summer.

Evatt said: “We’ve obviously got quite a big list of things to do, not just on the playing side but in terms of the club in general.

“We’re working through that list – Lewis we had to get done because of the [transfer] deadline, so he was the first and hopefully we’ll have one or two more agreed this week.

“Then we can start going to the other ones; the ones we want to keep and give them contracts getting them sealed.

“Then moving on to next year, we can really push in the recruitment to get the 20 bodies in I think we’ll need to hopefully have a big push next season.”

Evatt himself is close to agreeing a new contract with Barrow, having considerably improved their fortunes on the pitch since replacing Ady Pennock as manager last summer.

That has been helped by a possession-based style of play that has earned plenty of plaudits around the National League and helped them to attract the sort of players he believes wouldn’t have been interested in joining before.

Evatt, who had been linked with vacancies at some Football League clubs, said: “The pleasing thing is players do want to come and play for me and play for the club.

“A couple of years ago, we wouldn’t have had a chance to sign someone with the quality of Lewis Hardcastle, and he wants to come and be a part of how we’re playing, what we’re doing and the ambition of the club, which is great.

“It’s an example if I sign and if Lewis signs that we can attract some really good people at this club.

“I’ll be trying not to fill my car up with petrol at Rochdale or Oldham, or anywhere else in the near future – believe it or not, I do work in Rochdale, that’s where our training ground is.

“But it is pleasing and hopefully we can everything over the line in the next week.”