‘Nothing’s changed’ - Gavin Cowan wants another Shrewsbury Town signing

Gavin Cowan remains keen to bring an experienced forward to Shrewsbury Town despite the transfer window closing.

The Town boss made an experienced forward capable of operating in either the number nine or 10 role a priority during the summer window, which shut on Tuesday.

Young, versatile forward Kian McMahon-Brown arrived on loan from Burnley before deadline day, but Cowan is still exploring the free-agent market for another attacking option.

Asked whether he was pleased with the balance of his squad, Cowan said: “Yeah, to a point. I feel like, as I’ve been saying for sort of the last five, six weeks, I wanted a nine and a 10 that are going to be experienced - and we haven’t got them in the building, yet.

“We’ve managed to bulk it out with bodies, and that’s good, and those lads, I’m sure, will contribute, but they’re a little bit of the unknown.

“I’ve been harping on about it now for a good sort of six to eight weeks. Nothing’s changed.”

Town welcomed 11 recruits during the summer transfer window as part of a major rebuild following Cowan’s turnaround during the second half of last season.

However, the Salop boss made clear that his search for an experienced forward is not over, admitting he would “love the opportunity” to bring in a free agent.

“We’ve always got to be better,” he added. “We’re always searching to be better and to raise the standards. It’s a never-ending process of just trying to improve the group.”

Cowan previously described the transfer window as “exhausting”, with Town also missing out on a number of targets along the way.

While he wants another forward through the door, Cowan believes he has sufficient numbers in his squad and plenty of options available. But he stressed that quality, rather than quantity, will ultimately be the deciding factor.

He said: “In terms of numbers, yeah. Look, it’s about quality, isn’t it? So, the players need to show now that they’re the quality that I expect. That’s the challenge for them.”

While Cowan continues to search for another forward, there could still be movement in the opposite direction.

Transfer-listed defender Tom Anderson could “potentially” leave the club, with a move into non-league an option. His departure would also free up funds on the wage bill.

Cowan had frequently spoken of his desire to see the transfer window close after a crazy summer.

Now, with the window shut, he has tasked head of recruitment Tom Ware with continuing the search for potential additions.

“There’s still free agents,” Cowan said. “There’s still movement to be had - the National League offers something. But from our standpoint, we’re forever just trying to improve it.

“I have to focus on the team. Truth is, I haven’t been able to fully focus on that, because we want players in the building and we know it’s over the course of the season.

“But Tom, the head of recruitment now, needs to step up and start making a lot of the phone calls that I was making. I’m leaving him with a lot of job lists and tasks to go ahead and get on with, which he’s really proactive with.”