PAUL Hurst has targeted a new defender as Grimsby Town's top priority as the joint bosses continue their summer re-build.
Following the departure of Ian Miller and Bradley Wood at the end of the season, the Mariners currently have only three recognised defenders on their books.
Miller has since joined Cambridge on a two-year deal, while Wood has moved to Alfreton Town.
Hurst says the hunt to find quality replacements now begins in earnest but, as ever, the managers will bide their time in order to get a player who fits the bill.
"A defender is definitely our top priority now," Hurst told the Telegraph. "It's pretty obvious that we need one.
"If we were to put a team out with the squad that we've got, the centre half position is one that we're missing at the moment, so that will be our next move."
While Hurst insists a new defender is at the forefront of their minds, the joint-bosses believe they might be able to pick up a player of 'surprising' quality later in the window.
At the start of last season, the Mariners didn't add Nathan Pond to their ranks until the eve of their opener at Southport, with the centre- half going on to become one of the star performers.
And Hurst doesn't see why he and Scott can't find another player of similar calibre – if they are prepared to play the waiting game.
He explained: "Things drop in different ways and in different scenarios.
"The football season has only really just finished properly. While I realise that we're probably not going to take too many players from the teams that were involved in the league play-offs, things can have knock-on effects.
"As we've seen before, you can be quite pleasantly surprised by the quality of player that you may become available – someone that you may thought you were out of the running for previously.
"That player may be on another manager's wish-list, but he might be third choice on that list.
"He won't know that because that manager isn't going to tell him, but as those clubs fill up their quota with other targets, that player might come available.
"He then has to start re-evaluating his options and, as we've said before, we feel we're a really good option for players who can compete at the right end of the league.
"We're confident that we'll get some good players in."
He continued: "Like any of the other areas, we've got a list of players in mind.
"What we will be conscious of is not to leave ourselves short of space when we are bringing players in.
"We won't fill the rest of the squad up and leave ourselves short of a centre-defender.
"But I do hope that position will be filled sooner rather than later."
More sport on grimsbytelegraph.co.uk Bookmark grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/sport for the latest local sport news.
