Dean Smith keen for forward but rules out Jon Stead deal

The Saddlers boss admits he is desperate to add at least one new player to his squad, with a forward his main target.

Smith has rubbished rumours he made an approach for Huddersfield striker Jon Stead but is working on several other leads.

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"We are working on things and hoping to get things done," he said. "If it does take till the last moment then you have to work that hard because we do want someone to come in and strengthen.

"The phone is hot at the moment and it has been hot for the last couple of days. It's not stopping, we are desperately trying to recruit people but Coventry are trying to recruit people, so are Rotherham and everyone else.

"People are out there looking to get players in all the time and you end up in battles with other clubs."

Smith suffered disappointment earlier this week when a deal fell through at the 11th hour but insists he has other irons in the fire.

The pressure is eased somewhat by the opening of the emergency transfer window next week but Smith is keen to get a standard loan deals fixed now, to avoid the danger of seeing players recalled by their parent clubs.

He also confirmed Stead is not on his list of targets, after the Saddlers were linked with a move for the 30-year-old earlier this week.

But Smith insisted last weekend's 5-1 hammering of Notts County had not lessened his desire to strengthen up front.

He added: "It's still in my mind because we need to strengthen in that area but if you look at it Craig Westcarr has got 12 goals, Febian (Brandy) has come in and scored a hat-trick, Milan (Lalkovic) has found his scoring touch and got five so the front four are starting to chip in with goals.

"But we are always looking to strengthen and get a goalscorer and people who can come and strengthen the team."

Meanwhile, the likelihood of tomorrow's game with Coventry at Northampton going ahead is very much dependent on today's weather. Northampton's League Two game with Rochdale was postponed on Tuesday due to a waterlogged pitch but a decision on the Saddlers game is not likely until tomorrow.