MICHAEL Flynn has reiterated that Padraig Amond is vital to his plans at Newport County AFC and is closing in on transfer targets to join the striker at Rodney Parade.

The Exiles return for pre-season training next week and currently only have 14 players on their books after midfielder Ben Tozer and forward Frank Nouble turned down offers to stay.

Manager Flynn has been beavering away to add to his options yet still found himself having to deny speculation that Irish striker Amond, who scored 14 goals last season, including the FA Cup strike against Tottenham, was heading for pastures new.

“The club has not had any bids for Padraig Amond,” he Tweeted. “I am trying to sign good players and not let them go.”

Flynn said that he felt compelled to take the unusual step of tackling gossip online about the 30-year-old to ensure his energy was spent on arrivals rather than departures.

“There were a lot of rumours going round and I got back off holiday, walked into the club and was asked there,” he said.

“I just thought it had gone a little bit far, so I wanted to quash those rumours.

"Padraig is a player that is key to what we want to do next season so as far as me and the board are concerned, he won’t be going anywhere.

“We’ve only really got one striker at the club and that’s Padraig, so I am looking there.

“I am hoping to get one or two signings done before we get back and then one or two loans, which we won’t know until later in pre-season because clubs will be hanging onto them with the way the loan market works.”

The Exiles haven’t added to their squad since finishing their League Two campaign but the manager is confident that his hours on the phone will soon pay off.

“It’s been non-stop this summer,” said Flynn. “I had to sort a few things out with the club and there are lots of positives coming off the field as well as on it.

“It has been frustrating but now we are hoping to see the positives after all that hard work.

“We’ve got 14 contracted players. A couple might go on loan, a couple might leave the club but I will give them a fair shot of it in pre-season unless they get offered something that is beneficial to them in the meantime.

“I am looking at a lot of players and with where we are with the finances, we have to do what is right for the football club.

“Fair play to the board, they have done a lot of work behind the scenes to try and make sure that things are in the right place.”

County entered talks with Nouble at the end of 2017/18 but the manager wasn’t caught totally by surprise by the former West Ham forward instead opting to sign for Colchester on a two-year deal.

“I had an idea that Frank would go,” admitted Flynn. “He has moved closer to home and no matter what some people think of him, he is somebody who played a lot of games last season and never game me a problem.

“He has just had another young baby and moving back closer to home was important to him.”