Preston North End boss Alan Irvine is still working hard to bring in new players ahead of the transfer window on September 1st. But the North End boss insists it is now a case of quality and not quantity as he aims to strengthen the side in the long-term and not look for short-term fixes.

"No news yet. It's the same old thing, we are still trying very hard to sign players who will improve our squad," Irvine said after a week in which he has had to deny speculation linking the Club with five or six players.

"You wish that you didn't have to answer all those sorts of questions. In most cases it is pure speculation, there are a number of people who generate these stories because it is in their interests to do so.

"There are situations where it is wide of the mark and there are occasions where it is fairly close. The difficulty is that it takes so long to do a deal that you can't really be open and honest in everything you say because other people will hear about what you are trying to do and that just makes your job even harder.

"I do answer the questions honestly, when I am asked them, but it is a situation where you have to keep your cards fairly close to your chest."

Meanwhile the North End boss underlined his desire to sign only players that will strengthen the first eleven, not squad players.

Irvine said: "I have said many times that I am not interested in players who I don't believe will make us a better squad, or a better team, I am only interested in people who will make us stronger and take us forward, rather than people who would be coming in to make up the numbers or to fill positions, that's a recipe for disaster and only short-term.

"If not I will go with the squad that we have got. There's no point in making a signing for the sake of it. There's no point in bringing anyone in who in time you are going to want to send back out again.

"I want to bring in players who I feel will be here for the long term, people who will be here for years rather than someone who is just going to fill in a area where we might have a short-term concern - we want people who can take the club forward."

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