(Picture: Action Images via Reuters)
Mansfield manager Steve Evans says the club have been rebuffed in their attempts to sign a prolific striker ahead of the upcoming season.
The Stags have been installed as one of the favourites to win League Two after an impressive summer of transfer dealings has already seen the likes of Conrad Logan, Lee Angol and Paul Anderson arrive at the OneCall stadium.
In total, Evans has welcomed 13 new players into his squad, but after links with Luton's Danny Hylton and Doncaster's John Marquis earlier in the transfer window, the former Crawley boss is still on the look-out for a star striker.
Speaking to the Chad, the Scot said: “We've made a very strong enquiry for a lad that got a lot of goals in League Two last season, but their manager has come back to me and, as you'd expect, has said he is not for sale.
“We have left it that, if that changes given their situation, then they know where I am.
Evans continued: “We are working really hard. Carolyn Radford was on the phone with myself for the best part of a couple of hours yesterday, but nothing to report.
“We've said we're not going to lead our supporters to false hope and we have to be very mindful that we're seeing the quality we've got.
“We're trying to add something to the group and not just more of the same. More of the same doesn't encourage me to spend the Radford family's money.”
Mansfield will require more than lee angol
if they want to finish in top three.