Walsall's Dean Smith closing in on new goalkeeper and striker

The Saddlers manager held talks with one player last night and was due to meet with another this morning as the club looks to make their first acquisitions of the summer.

A goalkeeper has been high up on Walsall's priority list after Richard O'Donnell opted to move to League One rivals Wigan, while fans will be delighted a new striker is on the way to help ease the burden on 20-goal top scorer Tom Bradshaw.

"We are speaking to a few and we are close with a couple," Smith said. "I've been away on a family holiday but Neil Cutler has been very active, especially with speaking to goalkeepers.

"He has kept me in the loop and I met one player on Friday and I have another meeting planned Saturday – the other player is a forward.

"We are hoping to have some new faces in the building soon, certainly in time for pre-season."

Smith has been impressed with the quality of goalkeepers available for transfer this summer.

And the boss feels having coach Neil Cutler on his staff makes Walsall a very attractive proposition for any potential glovesman.

"Goalkeeper is always a position we have been looking at and there is a lot of them out there as well," he said. "I think a lot of them have seen the work Neil Cutler did with Richard O'Donnell and they would like a bit of that coaching.

"They would also like the opportunity to come, play in our environment and get better.

"We are after a goalkeeper who will come and compete with Craig MacGillivray for the number one jersey."

Meanwhile, Everton have reportedly joined the race to sign former Saddlers striker Troy Deeney.

Walsall officials negotiated a sell-on clause when Deeney left the Banks's for Watford back in 2010.

And the club stands to benefit from an undisclosed percentage of any fee should Deeney be sold this summer.

Newcastle are believed to be willing to pay £10 million for the forward who has scored 20 goals in three successive seasons.