Saddlers' Smith set for busy summer of signings

The Saddlers boss is working hard to mastermind a promotion charge as he seeks to end the club's eight year stay in League One by winning promotion to the Championship.

Smith has been handed an increased budget for the 2015/16 campaign in the hope of bringing in the right players for a promotion tilt.

And the boss feels the surprising release of right-back Ben Purkiss - who featured 39 times for the Saddlers last season - shows he is ready to do what is needed to improve his squad.

"You have to be bettering what you have," Smith said.

"I know I maybe shocked a few by releasing Ben Purkiss but I just feel, at this stage now, we need better.

"When I first took over it was about stopping in the league. We stopped in the league, managing it by a miracle in the first season.

"After the second season we had two tilts at the play-offs but faded away.

"This year we had a tilt at the play-offs but a tilt at relegation too. We have become a competitive mid-table team but if we want to go that next step we have to better what we have got."

Meanwhile, Smith has revealed the new contract signed by Amadou Bakayoko will initially run for six months - with the teenage striker urged to prove he is worthy of a longer stay.

"It's a six month deal," Smith said.

"He has so much potential but sometimes it is not always there and we have to draw it out of him and he has to draw it out of himself, to be more consistent.

"There is a lot more development in him, he went out on loan to Southport last year, initially did really well and then had a bit of a lean spell. He came back and then did really well again.

"We know at the moment it will be a rollercoaster for him, up and down. We want to try and get that consistency from him. We think we can draw it out of him."