WREXHAM report back for pre-season training today and Dean Keates is optimistic that his threadbare squad will have more bodies added to it by the end of the week.

Keates had completed the signing of left-back Jamie Reckord and returning midfielder Elliott Durrell who join six players - captain Shaun Pearson, Luke Young, Jay Harris, Rob Lainton, Devonte Redmond and Dan Jarvis - already under contract for the 2020-21 National League campaign.

Although Bobby Grant has joined Oldham Athletic on a season-long loan and Davis Keillor-Dunn has followed the attacking midfielder to the League Two club, Keates hopes Mark Carrington, Paul Rutherford and Christian Dibble will accept offers to stay at The Racecourse.

And Keates is confident there will be more transfer activity throughout this week.

“I am fairly confident that we will have a few more bodies other than the ones we have already got under contract, and the ones we are in negotiations with to stay,” said Keates.

“A few things have gone out to players. I have had conversations with players and it is just a case of getting them finalised.

“But nothing is ever done in football until the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed.

“It is still very early days and it is not a concern of mine to say we have only got these players in contract, and the couple we are in negotiations with.

“I would like to think that by the end of the first week, our numbers could quite easily have doubled.”

Keates might only have limited players under contract but he is happy with the personnel that he described as the “framework” of a revamped squad.

“I can understand there might be a little bit frustration with only having a handful in contract,” said Keates.

“But the handful in contract, they are the ones that are the framework already there to build a squad around.

“It is me making sure I get the recruitment right and the right players are added to that group already in contract.”

Keates was frustrated that attacking midfielder Keillor-Dunn, who impressed after signing for the Reds in the January transfer window, decided against extending his stay.

“It is disappointing,” said Keates.

“We put something to him even before this pandemic had started but his agent dragged his feet on it, and then it went completely quiet with the pandemic.

“Davis told me he wanted to stay and he was happy with it, but ultimately the carrot was dangled to play in the league above and that persuaded him.”

The National League season is set to kick-off on October 3, two months after the scheduled start date, because of the coronavirus crisis.

And it is because of the pandemic, which caused the 2019-20 season to be suspended in April, that has left clubs cautious when it comes to recruiting players.

But the FA has recommended that if a second wave leads to the upcoming season also being suspended, clauses are put into contracts to stop wages being paid.

“The budget has been put to me and we know what we have got to invest in players,” added Keates.

“I put things out there but we have just been waiting on one or two things.

“The FA made recommendations to put amendments into contracts in case things go into lockdown again, and we just waited to get clarity off the FA. It was just balancing the contract out regarding lockdown.”