Fleetwood Town's warning for keeper admirers

Town’s head coach has not completed his summer shopping but warned Bristol City and other clubs that keeper Alex Cairns is not for sale.

The summer transfer window shuts on August 9 but Town can do deals for loanees, free transfers and with foreign clubs until the end of next month.

Speaking about the interest in Cairns he said: “We would not be open to it.

“Al is our number one, I think he is comfortable here.

“He knows what we are trying to build and what we are trying to achieve.

“If players are doing well and the team is doing well obviously interest from higher divisions is going to come but we hope to build a culture, a group that lads realise what we are trying to do.

“Hopefully, this time next season, we are in those divisions.”

In terms of players coming into the club, Barton would still an injection of fresh blood with a keeper top of the wishlist.

That would seem to be bad news for another of the club’s keepers, Matty Urwin, with England U19 squad member Billy Crellin still developing his abilities.

Barton said: “We are always looking to improve the squad if we can.

“We would definitely in an ideal world if the chairman decides to be very kind to us; we would like to bring maybe a couple more bodies in.

“We think we are two bodies away from having everything that we need.

“We have to look at maybe bringing another keeper in.

“I think we need another keeper because Billy is in a development phase and we have got to protect him and nurture him through that to make sure we get the best out of his potential.

“But as a football club I think you are always trying to improve.

“I think you should always try to upgrade your playing staff if you can.”