Ben Garner has confirmed Bristol Rovers are “still active” in the transfer market after missing out on Hakeeb Adelakun.
The Gas hoped to pull off a surprise deal for the Bristol City winger, who met with the Gas boss this week. After mulling his options, the 24-year-old opted to join Rovers’ League One rivals Hull City on loan for the remainder of the campaign on Thursday.
The Rovers boss declined to comment on the attempt to bring in the winger at his press conference on Friday morning, but insists the club are looking to make signings before the window shuts next month.
“I haven’t seen any story (about Adelakun), if I’m honest,” he said. “I don’t read the news, that’s for other people to do. I have to focus on what we’re doing internally.
“In terms of players, we want to strengthen and I’m not talking about individual players but there’s one or two positions we are keen to strengthen and there are certain attributes that I think we need within the squad that I think will change the dynamic of the whole thing.
“We’ve got to a good point, we’ve had some really good recruitment. We know what we need and we’re working hard to do it, but it needs to be the right player at the right time to take us forward.
“We’re still active, we’re still looking for the right players. I think we’ve got a good nucleus and I think I’ve said it for a few weeks now.
“We’re just looking for those final additions that we think can give us that little bit extra and the balance and the depth to the squad that we want.”
Rovers have made nine signings this summer, with Luke McCormick – loaned in from Chelsea – the most recent to join this week.
But Gasheads have been left worried by Rovers’ struggles to create and score chances in the opening four games of the campaign, prompting calls for the Rovers boss to delve into the transfer market.
Garner recognises their concerns – the club’s pursuit of Adelakun indicates as much – but he also has confidence that his new-look squad will come good.
“We want to be an attacking threat,” the manager said. “We want to pose as much of a danger as we can.
“Across the games, in the first two thirds of the pitch we’ve been really good. We need to have a little bit more in that final third, but we’ve added Brandon Hanlan quite late.
“We didn’t have that time with him, the five weeks of pre-season where we did a lot of work. We’re getting ideas into Brandon and we’re getting him up to speed physically.
“He’s a player who is only going to improve. He’s already shown great attributes and how much of a handful he is going to be, but we also want further players in that attacking area to give us more of a threat.
“Again, that’s where unfortunately we’ve had Alex Rodman be ill, Sam Nicholson’s picked up a little injury, James Daly was ill during pre-season, so unfortunately that area of the pitch is where we’ve picked up injuries and illnesses and we’re trying to get up to speed.
“I understand that (the fans’ concerns) and it’s something we’re working very hard to improve.”
