Swindon Town have made eight transfers so far this summer but there is still plenty of work left to do, so what else do they need to get done?

It has been a busy summer for Town so far, but the squad is still just 22 players strong and includes younger players who are unlikely to feature heavily in the first team this season, so the business is far from complete and I have been called back in for my role of theoretical Head of Football.

The main priority at the moment would be to add further creativity to the team, with much of the recruitment so far having focused on bringing in defensive players. The pre-season friendlies have confirmed that Mark Kennedy will be sticking with his preferred systems from Lincoln City with a 352 and 3421.

The current make-up of Town’s midfield has strong defensive qualities and energy but Jake Cain remains the only senior player who brings guile in the final third. A signing here would need to be capable of playing in a midfield three but also in a more advanced role off of a main striker.

When recommending a player for this position before, I suggested Josh Stokes and Alistair Smith. Smith has already joined AFC Wimbledon, but Stokes remains available on loan from Bristol City to add a further goal threat to Swindon’s team from a deeper position.

With Town yet to use any of their loan slots, using one of these on this area seems sensible and another option could be Caden Kelly. The 20-year-old has made just two senior appearances to date but he displayed his talent for Sunderland in the Premier League 2 last season, getting the second most assists behind only Jamie Donley with ten and then also adding three goals in 14 appearances. The midfielder has been linked with Notts County and Halifax Town earlier this summer, but he could be a livewire option for Swindon capable of catching fire with experienced players alongside him to help him through.

Other options could include Luton Town’s Jayden Luker after he impressed for Woking on loan in the second half of last season or Blackburn Rover’s youngster Zak Gilsenan.

Swindon are in need of at least two of these kinds of players, the midfielder just discussed and another player who can play as a number ten and also as a second striker. My suggestion of Nathan Young-Coombes remains as he is yet to find a new home this summer.

Another option could be Jovan Malcolm, who is comfortable playing across all the forward positions and showed himself to be an exciting player who can make things happen off the dribble during a stint with Cheltenham Town last season.

Another area that requires an addition will be at left wing-back following the departure of Williams Kokolo and the suggestion that Tariq Uwakwe will not be part of the plans. Rosaire Longelo has impressed so far on the left but he is presently the only option in that position.

A player like Kane Vincent-Young could be an option here as he fits the mould Town have been looking for as a player who can drive upfield and also cause damage with their crossing capability.

The last real area would be at centre-back. Playing a back three with a few players with injury history means depth will be key behind Grant Hall. Former Bristol Rovers defender Josh Grant is a player with strong passing accuracy at both levels who can step in when necessary to cover for the other defenders without needing to be a weekly starter.