Coventry City have made firm offers on four players – one of whom they have made a bid to buy – and hope to get their first one over the line next week.
Sky Blues fans are desperate for news on new signings and City’s technical director Mark Venus says the club are closing in on their targets but insists there are no guarantees.
“June is a bad month to tie footballers down,” he said.
“The season has finished and you either have to give them a premium or wait because they will go around and look at other clubs as well because even though in our mind we’re the standout club in the league, you know they are going to research everything.
“But we have made offers to four players. We have put a little bid in with another football club for a player but as yet we haven’t signed anyone. I don’t know if or when we will but I hope we sign a player next week.”
He added: “We want to sign marquee players, players who are going to stay with the club for years and help us get the job done. We’re not close enough to them yet but as soon as we are we will let you know.
“Where are the marquee players? Down the middle of the pitch; two centre halves, is John Fleck going to re-sign?
“The secret is not to get too wrapped up with something and it let’s you down, so that’s where we are.
“We have first choices. I don’t like having second and third choices because sometimes they are not as good the first. For example if the first choice is 80 out of 100 and the second choice is 55 why would we go for him? I would rather go without and wait for better.
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“If we got the players we want I think people would see the way we are trying to build the football club.
“We want to sign players on long contracts, back our judgement and back them to be here for years as Coventry City footballers.
“We’re just trying to find the right ones to take with us. It’s not as simple as getting a player in and giving them a four year deal. I think the club has suffered from those types of movements in the past, maybe made calls and not done as much diligence as they should have done and then ended up struggling with it later on.
“We are really active but nothing is there yet.”
As for the club being pro-active and actually making bids to buy players rather than rely on free transfers and loan players, Venus explained: “I am keen for us to buy footballers, to invest in the football department.
“I am trying to find money, stretch the money and identify parts of the budget that we can purchase footballers with and I think that’s important for lots of different reasons.
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“I think it sends out the right message that we will purchase a footballer if we feel there is value in him and he becomes available.
“I think it shows the fans that the money is not just draining away but actually being invested in footballers. It’s limited but I feel it’s improving from when we first came in and if we keep going the same way it will really improve because we have gone through the difficult parts we inherited.”