Walsall face double loan setback in striker search
Walsall had agreed a pair of loan deals for two centre-forwards but Mat Sadler has revealed that their parent clubs have changed their stance.
As it stands, Josh Gordon and Jamille Matt are the only two fit centre-forwards available to Walsall with less than 48 hours to go until the new season gets underway.
After facing a double setback, Sadler admits his quest to bolster the attack has proven difficult this summer.
He said: "It's been difficult. Unfortunately, we had a couple of (loan) deals agreed that then were then taken away because their parent clubs had to readjust their stance on it.
"It's been hard work, really tough. It's clear where we want to improve and I am focusing a hell of a lot of time, resources and hours on doing that.
"As it stands, nothing has dropped with that. What we're very fortunate with and I've spoken with Josh (Gordon) and Jamille (Matt) at length over the last few weeks is making sure that we've got these two guys here who're more than capable of shouldering the responsibility in this period before we help provide the team with a few more options.
"It's clear with me that I don't want to just bring in anybody. They have to be the right people and the right type.
"We've been unfortunate with quite a few, especially this week but over the last three or four weeks that haven't quite dropped."
Sadler pointed to Euro 2024 potentially causing a knock on effect in the loan market with Premier League clubs less willing to release players for loan at this stage of the window.
"It's been quite slow with lots of deals. I don't know if the Euros has affected the top clubs and then it hasn't filtered down to the clubs below," the Walsall boss continued.
"Sometimes you wonder whether the Premier League affects us but it really has done just by the nature of some of those good players that we want to take not being able to be released yet.
"We continue to work hard on it and we'll get the right ones that we want in at the right time."
That could leave Gordon and Matt leading the line for the opener against Morecambe with Sadler unable to give any guarantees in terms of arrivals over the next 36 hours.
"We'll keep working really hard. The phone is not stopping but just waiting for these things to drop is sometimes difficult," he concluded.
"The knock on effect of other deals happening, it does open doors for us when they do happen.
"We're being patient with that, we're being realistic with that. We clearly know we need to add to that area but it's not for the want of not trying."
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