Crewe Alexandra boss David Artell says that the summer transfer market has been very cagey in the opening month. Artell moved quickly to secure the services of the former Motherwell forward Christopher Long on a free transfer and he admits that there are other ‘irons in the fire’ as he aims to bolster his squad following the departures of a number of senior players this summer.

Artell says he was delighted to add an experienced pro like Long to his ranks, as Crewe are not usually in the market for players between the ages of 26-to-30.

The Alex boss said: “It has been very cagey because players are holding out for more and the clubs are looking to reduce wage bills. There won’t be the same number of places available and I honestly believe there will be a number of desperate players looking for a club in July.

“I am sure it will travel around by word of mouth that most clubs, not all of them, will be looking to cut their cloth. I think most clubs will have to tighten their belts after the past 18 months we have had.

“We were pleased to get the deal for Chris done because we don’t usually get those 26 year-olds with that level of experience behind them. When you are signing a younger one, it sometimes takes a bit of time for them to find their feet, as they might not have been exposed to a lot of competitive football.

He added: “The player demands will have to come down and that will have to happen sooner rather than later or they could find themselves without a club and out of the game.”