DEAN SAUNDERS today admitted he might have to concede defeat in his pursuit of the striker he is trying to sign and explore other avenues.
Having had an initial bid for the un-named striker he is hoping to recruit rejected, Saunders has also failed with a second offer which included various add-on clauses.
Saunders is desperate to bring in a frontman now that the transfer window has reopened after seeing Wrexham score just 21 goals in 22 Blue Square Premier matches this season.
And while he considers making a third offer for the player, Saunders stressed he will not spend too much time trying to complete the signing and will instead pursue other targets.
“We have not come to an agreement with the club,” said Saunders.
“We put a bid in but did not put a second one in as such, we shuffled things around where they would have more money if we had success. There were add-on clauses.
“We have been negotiating with the club and we have not reached an agreement yet. But you can only negotiate for so long.
“There are other players I want to move on to.
“I will put a deadline to this now in the next couple of days and move on.
“I will move on to the next one before someone snaps them up. That is the dilemma, there are other targets waiting on me.”
Saunders has been linked with a number of strikers including Forest Green Rovers frontman Andrew Mangan, who has completed a five month ban imposed by the FA in July for breaching betting rules.
And while he would not reveal the identity of the player he has bid for, Saunders revealed he is reluctant to pay over the odds as the striker is out of contract at the end of the season.
“We will look at it again,” said Saunders.
“We are trying our best but the player we are trying to sign, his contract is up in the summer. But there is only so much money I can offer before it becomes uneconomical.
“If it does not meet our valuation of the player, we will move on. I have got other irons in the fire.
“I have got a list of players I would like to get in but obviously it is being able to afford them.”
While he is trying to strengthen his squad, Saunders has seen a fifth successive Wrexham match fall victim to the cold weather.
Tonight’s clash against AFC Wimbledon was postponed after the frozen Kingsmeadow pitch failed an inspection yesterday afternoon.
Wrexham were last in action on December 15 - three weeks ago today - when they lost at Altrincham in the FA Trophy and have instead continued to hold training sessions at Colliers Park.
And while Saunders admitted the ‘break’ is beginning to take its toll, he is trying to remain upbeat about the situation.
“It is disastrous,” said Saunders. “I have never seen anything like it.
“I know the forecast was minus four or five overnight and I had a doubt in the back of my mind.
“I am getting quite dispirited actually not having a game. I am trying to keep my own spirits up, never mind the players.
“It also stops me watching games and players I want to bring in because a few of them have been called off.
“But you just have to get on with it.”
Wrexham are without a game this weekend and are due to return to action next Tuesday when they make the trip to Gateshead in a re-arranged fixture.
However, if Gateshead’s FA Trophy tie with Southern League outfit Chippenham Town, due to be held on Saturday, goes to a replay then their game against Wrexham will have to be given a new date.
Wrexham are then scheduled to face leaders Stevenage Borough at The Racecourse on January 16 and Saunders is desperate for an improvement in the weather to enable matches to go ahead.
“Hopefully the weather starts to thaw out and we get some games on,” said Saunders.
“But the forecast is for snow and frost.
“We are looking at getting covers for our pitch but three of the games postponed are away from home and we can’t do anything about this.”
Despite Wrexham facing a fixture backlog - they have five games in hand on some teams - Saunders is not unduely worried as long as the Reds don’t go into future matches with a disadvantage.
“We are not in the FA Trophy or FA Cup so that is a few games there,” added Saunders.
“If we were still in those competitions it is even more games to cram in.
“We will have some room. I don’t mind playing games on a Tuesday if the team we are playing has also played on the Saturday.
“It is when you have played three in a week and the other team once that it becomes a problem.”