Shrewsbury Town will ‘give everything’ to land striker before deadline

Gavin Cowan has vowed Shrewsbury Town will “give everything” to bolster their attack before the transfer window slams shut.

The Salop boss has made further attacking options a priority as he looks to improve Town’s depth and goal return.

Cowan continues to knock on the door in his bid to land another striker, insisting there will be no shortage of effort behind the scenes in the final days of the summer window.

Asked if he was hoping to welcome a striker, Cowan said: “I would love to, I’m banging my head on that door to make it happen.

“But what you do have to respect is, if it’s not doable, it’s not doable. All I can do is just keep knocking on the door. If we don’t do it, it won’t be for the want of trying.

“There’s no one at the top there going ‘we’re not sure, we don’t really want to do it’. If they can do it, they’ll do it. If they can’t, they won’t.

“I’d love to go to Dubai for a month - but I’m sure it’d be far too expensive and it’s not going to suit my diary. I would love to do it, but I can’t.

“It’s that analogy - the football club wants to do everything, wants to give everything, but you have to look after the club.”

Town secured their first League Two win with victory over Salford City on Saturday, with captain Will Boyle scoring the decisive second-half goal.

Cowan admitted afterwards that he still wants reinforcements in the forward areas.

He added: “I really believe in the strikers that we’ve got - it’s not to patronise or to undermine them. But over the course of the season, you’re going to need that.

“Competition for places helps, someone to score goals helps. We’ve got to be in that market and fighting for the players that we know that are going to enhance this team.

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“That’s my focus. Whether we can do it, the football club comes first in terms of keeping it ticking on a day-to-day basis. But from a sheer football pitch perspective, we need bodies and help the players.

“Today doesn’t paper over any cracks. What we’ve got at the moment, I really believe in. But the plan has always been to enhance that. So we’re working really hard.”

Town also continued their pursuit of Burnley starlet Kian McMahon-Brown over the weekend, although Cowan said there was “no update” on the 18-year-old after a deal was close on Friday.

“We’re trying, but there’s others as well,” Cowan said. “We need experience, we need people who we know can come in and do the job.

“I want what I want on the pitch and I’m driving and demanding. But I also have to accept that the football club comes first.”