NOTTS County are now in talks with a Championship club over a striker, boss Keith Curle has revealed to the Post.
The Magpies have wasted no time in their search for more firepower as they chase promotion in League One, after ex-Chelsea hitman Mikael Forssell turned down a move to Meadow Lane last week.
And even though their leading scorer Yoann Arquin scored his sixth goal of the season to fire Notts into the second round of the FA Cup, Curle has still made an approach for another forward ahead of their league game at Colchester United tonight (7.45pm).
"It's getting closer," he said. "We're talking to another manager now and they have been promising talks.
"We haven't got to stage of speaking to the player yet.
"It would be a loan deal initially, but nothing will happen before tonight's game.
"In my own mind the sooner we can get another striker in the better, purely to give us another attacking option.
"That is what we need and then we'll be finished, but we've still got room for another midfielder and probably a full-back."
Arquin is not the only Magpies player bang in form in front of goal.
Curle also has Ivorian forward Francois Zoko, who has netted five goals and Lee Hughes, Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Jeff Hughes and Alan Judge – and even captain Neal Bishop has scored three times this season.
But he is adamant he needs one more striker to make his side an even more formidable attacking force.
"We are still going to sign another striker, no matter if they keep on scoring goals because it's a long season," added Curle.
"In my own mind we are one piece short of the jigsaw in the front area, not necessarily because of the goals, but the build-up play.
"We need somebody that other players can link up with and play off to give us another prong to our attack."
