Walsall boss targets midfield deals

Walsall boss Dean Smith has targeted midfield steel as he looks to continue his summer signing spree.

The manager remains interested in former loanee Marco Gbarssin, as he bids to plug the midfield gap left by Matt Richards and Emmanuel Ledesma.

The Saddlers have just Richard Taundry and new-boy Kevan Hurst who could fill in, but the pair are earmarked for right-back and left-wing respectively.

And Smith - who has signed Mat Sadler, Ryan Jarvis and Hurst this week - now wants to beef up his engine room.

The Saddlers boss said: "Central midfield is certainly one we need to look at. I've got quite a few midfielders I have spoken to, quite a few are interested and a couple of them might be moving along,

"I won't turn my nose up about bring people in for trials during pre-season, because that's where some people get a contract and end up staying at a club for a long time – all because they got that chance."

Julian Gray, Richards and Ledesma's contracts have officially expired to free up their wages, but Smith revealed the Saddlers could be entitled to compensation should Ledesma move elsewhere.

The manager said: "Emmanuel went back to South America at the end of the season and we made him an offer.

"He's under 24, so if someone wants to take him they have to come to us as well."

The Saddlers returned for pre-season training yesterday as they knuckle down before starting a training camp in Scotland in 10 days.

Smith was left impressed with his squad's fitness levels, after almost two months off.

He said: "The session was a bit of a loosener. We did a lot of injury prevention stuff and also put the lads through various tests to see where they're at.

"To be fair, all the lads came back with a good level of fitness so it is obvious that they have been looking after themselves while they've been away."