NEWPORT County AFC manager Michael Flynn is targeting three or four more signings this summer with his main focus now on securing the next Ben White or Shawn McCoulsky on loan.

Flynn has so far brought in six players since the end of last season – defenders Fraser Franks and Tyler Forbes, midfielders Charlie Cooper and Andrew Crofts, winger Keanu Marsh-Brown and striker Jamille Matt.

With Tom Owen-Evans and Lamar Reynolds departing for Falkirk and Dagenham & Redbridge respectively, County now have a squad of 16 senior players and two youngsters in Jay Foulston and Momodou Touray.

Flynn has already stated that he wants another two strikers and a goalkeeper to challenge Joe Day.

“I’d really like three or four more in and I’d love one more permanent signing,” said the Exiles boss.

“I don’t know if that’s possible, if I’m totally honest, with the finances being what they are.

“It is what it is but if I’ve got to do another four loans and beg steal and borrow from contacts – and also make sure they’re the right ones – then so be it.

“I’ve always treated the loan players right and hopefully we’ve improved them.

“You’ve only got to look at Shawn McCoulsky and Ben White to see how much we have improved them and how happy their parent clubs were.”

As well as letting Owen-Evans and Reynolds move on this summer, County have also lost striker Frank Nouble and midfielder Ben Tozer to League Two rivals Colchester United and Cheltenham Town respectively.

“We’re trying to get the blend right,” he added. “We’ve got a group of men and we’ve had to replace some characters that we’ve lost.

“It’s all about getting the right team spirit because small clubs like ourselves need that little bit extra that we don’t get from the purse strings.”

Pre-season training began last Thursday and Flynn has been pleased with what he’s seen so far.

“It’s nice to be back in with the boys and seeing the new boys meet the old boys,” he said.

“It looks like a good group – they seem like they’re getting on really well and I knew they would because we do our homework when we try to sign players.

“We try to get the right characters on and off the pitch and it’s so far so good.

“We were at Cwmbran Stadium last week because Spytty wasn’t ready – there were school sports days there and for the first couple of days we weren’t going to need the pitch anyway because we were just doing fitness tests and seeing where they were at.

“They've done their fitness tests, they’ve done their gym sessions, they’ve done body fat tests and thankfully there’s not too many in the fat club!

“It is hard work but when they look back on it after the five or six weeks are over they’ll realise how much they’ve bonded.

“It gets them in the right space ready to start a long hard season.”