Michael Nelson hopeful of completing new signing at Blyth Spartans this week

Blyth Spartans manager Michael Nelson has revealed that he is hoping to complete at least one signing this week.
Blyth Spartans manager Michael Nelson.  (Photo credit: Kris Hodgetts)Blyth Spartans manager Michael Nelson.  (Photo credit: Kris Hodgetts)
Blyth Spartans manager Michael Nelson. (Photo credit: Kris Hodgetts)

There may be uncertainty over when the National League North season will get underway, but that has not stopped Nelson looking to continue his busy summer in the transfer market.

It is just under two weeks since forwards Connor Thomson and Paul Blackett completed moves to Croft Park and the Spartans boss is keen to fill “a couple of key areas” over the coming week.

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He hinted that one signing could be completed this week – but admitted that he would have to be shrewd in his business as the looks to bring his squad up to where he wants it to be.

Speaking to the Sunderland Echo’s ‘Northern Goals’ programme, Nelson said: “We are hopeful that one or two might get done this week.

“We are looking for a couple of key areas.

“I think I might fill one of them this week, and with the other one, there are one or two in the pipeline.

“We just have to wait and see.

“It’s a fine balance with the budget, we went and recruited what I think is quite well.

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“We just need to add probably three or four more to be where I want the squad to be.

“The budget is really tight with what we have left in it, but we will be shrewd and bring in the right players.”

The National League are set to hold a meeting on Thursday as they consider whether their new season can get underway during the first week of October after the government announced new Covid-19 restrictions across the country.

When the campaign does get underway, Spartans will look to move on from a poor season that saw them looking condemned to only the second relegation in their history.

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Many onlookers have suggested that another battle against the drop could lie in wait – but Nelson is adamant that he will not go into the campaign with the sole focus on staying in non-league’s second tier.

People will have expectations on us, and I think a lot of those expectations will be to just stay in the league,” he explained.

“But I don’t think you can go out with that attitude because you could be one place above relegation and be quite happy.

“That can come back to bite you in the last four or five games.

“It’s that old cliché of it’s one game at a time, we have shown during pre-season that we can improve game-on-game and that is what we will look to do during the season.”