Blackpool enter new phase of recruitment process as they look to close in on 'one or two' targets- as interest in Middlesbrough defender and ex-Sheffield Wednesday midfielder is discussed

The Seasiders’ sporting director David Downes admitted they are attempting “one or two” targets over the line as he discussed the club’s transfer business at the recent fans forum- which also featured owner Simon Sadler, CEO Julian Winter and head coach Neil Critchley on the panel.

Jordan Rhodes is Blackpool’s only addition so far this summer, with the striker signing a permanent deal following a successful loan spell on the Fylde Coast. Fellow loanees George Byers, who has recently departed Sheffield Wednesday, and Middlesbrough’s Hayden Coulson have also been linked with returns to Bloomfield Road.

"It’s difficult to speak about individual players,” Downes told the fans forum.

"I’ve signed George Byers twice- once for Sheffield Wednesday and once here, so naturally I know his agent very well so we are in discussions.

"He will have a lot of options, he’s a good player. He’s a free transfer so he’s probably easier to speak about, Hayden (Coulson) is a Middlesbrough player with a year left so ultimately if they do want to give him away and do something with ourselves- we’d definitely be in that discussion to bring him back.

"Ultimately he does have another year, and a year option.

"In terms of recruitment, we’ve done a lot of planning so we’re in the execution phase and trying to get one or two over the line.

"Last summer we all came in at different times, and I like to think in January everything looked more aligned into what we wanted to do.

"Me and Neil (Critchley) have had nine months of working with each other now, we kind of know where we want to be and where we want to get to.

"The recruitment lads have been identifying players for every eventuality and now we’re at the point of executing one or two of those and getting them over the line.

“With the window only being open a couple of days, we think we’re in a really good place, there’s only eight teams that have signed more than one player in our division so we’re not behind the curve. We just want to make sure the ones we go for are the right ones in what we want them to do.”