NOTTS County must make signing a top striker their No.1 priority in the summer, says defender Dean Leacock.
The Magpies' strike-force has badly misfired this season, which is why they are in mid-table in League One and not in the play-offs.
French forward Yoann Arquin and Ivorian attacker Francois Zoko have both only scored eight goals, while No.9 Enoch Showunmi has netted just twice.
Notts have been forced to rely on goals from midfield – with Alan Judge and Jamal Campbell-Ryce both scoring eight times and captain Neal Bishop notching seven goals.
And Leacock insists there is no way they can go into next season without a proven goalscorer under new boss Chris Kiwomya.
"No disrespect to our strikers, but that's been our main problem," he said.
"At the start of the season we were playing good football and creating great opportunities but we didn't convert them.
"We need that poacher to give us something different up there because our strikers are very similar.
"We don't really have one that runs in behind and is a nuisance, but Chris will bring in someone like that.
"I don't know who it will be, but the sooner the better I think."
The Magpies are 11th in the table with four games left and they face second-placed Bournemouth away tomorrow.
Leacock admits it hurts that their season is all over, after a good start.
"I think at the start of the season we were playing probably the best football the fans have seen in a long while," he added.
"We were getting good results and it was looking positive.
"I can't deny that at the start of the season I thought there was a really good chance of us going up, but that isn't going to happen now, which is frustrating."
