DEFENCE, rather than attack, remains Doncaster Rovers immediate priority.
And manager Sean O'Driscoll confirmed yesterday afternoon that Manchester City centre-back Matt Mills is still his main defensive target.
Mills spent much of last season on loan at the newly-promoted Championship club and has intimated that he is prepared to move from Eastlands.
But what was close to being a done deal after the two clubs agreed a £300,0000 fee has been put on hold due to the departure of manager Sven Goran Eriksson, who made it clear that Mills didn't feature in his plans, and the club's chief executive.
"Mark Hughes has come in as manager and, rightly so, wants to assess the whole of his squad. Matt is a contracted player with Manchester City," said O'Driscoll.
"Until they get back from their German tour at the weekend, or early next week, nothing will move further forward. I just think that everybody is being sensibly patient at this particular time."
O'Driscoll admits that he is not short of options if the Mills deal fails to materialise.
"I have got details of every centre-half who has ever played on my desk," he joked. "There are plenty out there. Whether any of them are any good remains to be seen.
"When you ask these people (agents) if they have ever seen the player play the usual answer is 'no', so you take everything with a pinch of salt.
"We've got lots of (pre-season) games coming up so I'm sure we'd get four or five people in and have a look at them and see where we were."
It has been generally assumed by the media and fans alike that O'Driscoll would be looking to strengthen his attack - especially following the departure of Mark McCam-mon.
But he said: "We've already got five or six strikers on the books and if I am going to use my resources the best way possible that is probably not an area where I would be looking to strengthen unless something pops up.
He did admit, however, to an interest in former Bristol City striker Darren Byfield.
"The way it works is that you get a CV sent on an e-mail or a fax - I have got hundreds on my desk, as I am sure that every Championship manager has -and Darren was one of those on a free transfer who has played in the Championship," said O'Driscoll.
"You do what you have to do and speak to the agent and assess the situation because sometimes by the time you get these things through the player has already moved on or he is already in talks with another club.
"At this moment, he is talking to various clubs and he is available and that is as far as we have gone. He'll probably get around to speaking to all the various clubs who have shown an interest.
"But with pre-season having started, I am sure that he will want to get fixed up somewhere."
What do you think? Post your comments below. READ MORE Football headlinesMore BladesMore OwlsMore SpireitesMore RoversMore RedsMore MillersMore Ice HockeyMore rugby leagueMore rugby unionMore boxingSports columnistsAll sport categoriesThe full article contains 549 words and appears in Doncaster Star newspaper.
