Jonathan Macken trains with Walsall

Free agent Jonathan Macken is training with Walsall as the Saddlers' hunt for new firepower hots up.

The former Manchester City and Preston striker has been with the club since Thursday in a bid to impress.

Macken has been without a club since being released by Barnsley in the summer and is a potential replacement for Troy Deeney, who moved to Watford this month.

Boss Chris Hutchings wants an experienced targetman to compliment a youthful squad and the 32-year-old would be the ideal candidate.

Other clubs are understood to be tracking the one-time Republic of Ireland international, but the Saddlers are taking a closer look at the striker at their Essington training base.

Hutchings keen to ensure Macken is fit and can offer the team something they don't already have.

Macken cost Manchester City £5million in 2002 when they bought him from Preston – where he had scored 74 goals in a successful five year spell, helping the Lilywhites to promotion to the Championship.

But he failed to make an impact at City and was sold to Crystal Palace in 2005 before spells at Ipswich, Derby and Barnsley.

The forward bagged 19 goals in 100 appearances for the Tykes to take his tally to 113 career goals in 455 games.

Macken would add experience to the forward line which has just teenagers Will Grigg, Jamie Paterson and George Bowerman as back up to Alex Nicholls and Darren Byfield.\

But the former Manchester United trainee is just one of several options Hutchings is pursuing ahead of the visit of Plymouth on Saturday.

The manager has cash to spend after selling Deeney to Watford in a deal worth up to £650,000.

Should Walsall sign Macken funds will still be available to buy more players, with Hutchings keen on adding at least two or three new faces.

The Saddlers boss wants another winger to boost competition for Steve Jones and Julian Gray, who bagged the winner in the 2-1 victory at Brentford on Saturday.

Hutchings named four teenagers on the bench at Griffin Park and knows the squad is dangerously thin just two weeks before the transfer window closes.

Striker Alex Nicholls said: "The gaffer knows quite a lot of people in big places. It's nice to be playing with players like Jonathan Macken.

"He's a big name in football and he's been sold for a lot of money in his career."