RAMSBOTTOM United boss Mark Fell hopes to get his summer transfer business done early as he targets a successful Evo-Stik North campaign.

The Rams ended this term in 14th place and Fell will be keen to improve on that and challenge for the play-offs when the new season begins in August.

He has already retained the services of several players, including key man Jerome Wright, and is expected to bring in several new faces before his squad return to pre-season training.

"It’s a crazy time of year,” Fell said. "Me and the staff identified the areas we needed to strengthen and we drew up a list of targets that we are engaged with.

"It’s a players market at the moment and we need to ensure deals are right for the club and the player.

"It’s also a time where as a manager you have to be alert to the possibility that some players may become available well into pre-season, a case in point being that we signed Jerome Wright and Kyle Brownhill the week before the season started last year.

"But we hope to get information out as soon as possible on the new signings as we gear up to what we hope will be a successful campaign.”

Fell has retained Wright, Dean Stott, Luke Thompson, Phil Dean, Jamie Rother, Tom Brooks, Greg Daniels and Harry Foulds for next season while discussions are ongoing with other members of the 2017/18 squad.

The Rams boss added: “There’s been interest in all our lads, that’s the nature of this level of football. But these lads want to play for Ramsbottom United, they want to succeed with the club.

"Some we’ve already nailed down, some we’re still talking to and others have an invite to come into pre-season and stake their claim – it’s important we have that competitive environment from the offset and with some of the additions we are set to make.

"All the lads will need to be at their best to be in the starting XI come August 18."