Swindon Town still have room in their budget to make the signings that they are looking for, but Ian Holloway wants to learn a lesson from last year.
With less than a week to go in the window, Swindon are pushing to get more reinforcements into their squad to cover for the injury problems they have had, with another forward and midfielder on their list.
Holloway said he was hoping for a squad of 24 or 25 players this season, and with Gavin Kilkenny, Fletcher Holman, and Harry Smith not available to him, another two players would bring them up to that mark.
Coming into this summer, Swindon were working with the same budget they had last year, which is around the £3 million mark, although Town have managed to move things around to create additional room to bring players in.
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This came after Holloway said earlier in the summer that he might have to move players on to bring new ones in, but injuries in the squad have forced them to make sure they can keep their present squad together and make the necessary additions.
Town are generally looking at out-of-favour players in League One and academy players on loan, neither of which would be prohibitively expensive.
The Adver understands that Swindon are in a position where they do not have to move players out to bring them in, and would generally be resistant to doing so due to the injuries they have suffered, although offers for the likes of James Ball and Tom Nichols could see them reconsider.
One important factor to consider is that Holloway has said he would like to leave some budget available for January, as he felt hamstrung last season by having had to spend his whole budget after Harry Smith’s injury late in the summer.
That would look like a tight balance at present, and the need for departures will be especially stark in January once Kilkenny, Holman, and Smith are back in the fold.
Holloway said: “I'm looking for them to do what I want, and if they don't do it, they'll be gone. It's my job to make it totally and utterly clear.
“If you don't do it, you won't be playing, and you won't be around the squad.
“But with all these injuries, it's almost impossible at the moment. So, some might get a bit longer, but I'm still on them to do what I want. Otherwise, they're not playing.”
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