Lee Bell believes having Christopher Long at Crewe Alexandra will help attract a higher calibre of players this summer.

The Manager says signing the striker to a new 12-month deal will strengthen his hand in the transfer market because prospective new signings will see The Railwaymen mean business.

Bell, who says he aims to bolster all departments in advance of 2023-24, explained: “Longy is an asset, so when people see him in the team and know what he is capable of, we will use that to show the players we are trying to get into the building what our frontline might look like.

“He can only help us because it’s a real coup for us to keep him for another year. Hopefully, he will help us get a better calibre of player here.”

Long, who joined Crewe in 2021, moved quickly to agree a new deal and put pen to paper. 

Bell added: “It was a surprise how easy it was to do. Chris has been fantastic. We had a short, informal meeting and he just said he wanted to stay.

“He says he owes it to the club and enjoys being here. That was really refreshing to hear from a footballer.

“True to his word, a week later, despite interest from the league above, he came in and signed. Now he can relax and go on holiday with his family.

“He wants to remind the fans what he is capable of, and we have a lot to look forward to if we can get the ball to him in the right areas.”