Chesterfield 'close' to new signing with Dagenham and Redbridge striker heavily linked

The Spireites are in need of a striker and they are being heavily linked with Dagenham and Redbridge forward Paul McCallum.

The 29-year-old is a regular goalscorer at National League level, having bagged 18 goals in 36 appearances last season and 16 in 27 the year before. This term he has five in 23 appearances.

On potential incomings, manager Paul Cook told the DT on Friday: “We are close, Joe Quigley needs help, he really needs help. He is a great kid. He has had an outstanding early part of the season, he missed a week with the flu probably a month ago, and every point where he has needed help and support we probably have not been able to give him that from the bench. So we are certainly hopeful of having a new addition for tomorrow who will be involved and will certainly help us going forward.

“Akwasi Asante has been out with a groin, Danny Rowe has obviously been out, we have only got Joe Quigley and it is not enough firepower in this league, it is just not. I think our supporters understand that, or the logical ones will.

“We are certainly doing stuff to rectify that problem, I think that problem has probably been rectified by tomorrow, 100 per cent.”

And Cook confirmed that they will still be ‘active’ in the transfer market for more additions but that he wants to ‘build’ the squad responsibly.

He said: “We need more. We have not got the options at the minute that a top club has. Like any club it is not a bottomless pit where you just keep spending and just keep signing - that is not how you build football teams. We have got to make sure that we are doing things properly and I feel we are albeit the last week has been tough for everyone.

“Can we build a squad to make us stronger? That is the biggest thing, it is not about signing players for the sake of it, you want to sign players who can help just get over the line this season, we want this club to be promoted this season, make no bones about it, and we are going to do everything we can make our supporters proud because that is what I am here for.”