SAM RICKETTS plans to go into the 2018-19 National League season with an 18-man squad at his disposal.

The newly appointed Wrexham manager inherited seven players - Shaun Pearson, Manny Smith, Kevin Roberts, James Jennings, Akil Wright, Nicky Deverdics and Leo Smith - who are already under contract, with Sam Wedgbury leaving by mutual consent because of personal reasons.

Four more - Chris Holroyd, Christian Dibble, Mark Carrington and Paul Rutherford - have agreed new deals while Doug Tharme is expected to make the step-up from the youth team and put pen to paper on his first professional contract.

That would leave 12 players signed up with Ricketts, who has put the emphasis on quality rather than quantity when he compiles his squad, looking to make six more new additions.

"At the start of the season, certainly when we get going, it will be a squad of 18 roughly," said Ricketts.

"Sixteen in the matchday squad and it leaves two spare, whether that be young players, injuries or suspensions.

"It will be around 18 to try and get as good a quality as we can."

Ricketts, also looking to appoint an assistant manager following Andy Davies' departure to link up with former Wrexham boss Dean Keates at Walsall, is yet to make any new signings but hopes that changes "fairly soon".

"I think it will go in stages," said Ricketts. "We will maybe get one or two over the line fairly soon and then some of the others will possibly have to wait a little bit longer to try and maximise us.

"There are so many players out of contract, some will make a decision very quickly, some will try and hold out.

"A lot of the players who I want will be the ones who will be getting interest from elsewhere and higher up so we are just trying to get two or three of them if we can."

Chris Holroyd, top scorer with 13 goals last season, is currently the only striker in the Reds' squad.

And with Wrexham only scoring 49 goals in 46 league games last season, Ricketts is eager to address that shortcoming by recruiting quality frontmen.

"You can probably work out what positions we are looking," said Ricketts.

"Forward line is obviously the most important one because we are lacking numbers there but we also want really good quality up there this year.

"Everyone does and with that you are fighting against a lot of clubs for these players.

"They are the players who want all the money as well because the hardest thing in football is scoring a goal. They are the tough ones to get over the line."

Ricketts insists that whoever he brings in must have a burning desire to be successful at The Racecourse.

"I take each player individually really and it also depends on what position they are on the pitch," added Ricketts.

"I especially want players who are hungry to achieve something, not just have been at this level for four, five, six, seven years or so.

"Certainly in the attacking areas, the defensive areas are a little bit different, but I want players who are trying to do something in the game and will eat, sleep and breathe football because they are trying to get into League Two, League One, Championship or whatever they want to do.

"Players who really want to push themselves and achieve something."