After seeing a deal for winger Sam Aiston fall through Darlington hope to make their first signings of the summer after lining up a double swoop, writes Craig Stoddart.

A pair of strikers are in Quakers' sights with Matthew Tipton and Simon Johnson, with Macclesfield and Leeds United respectively last season, targeted.

Manager David Hodgson missed out on striker Colin Larkin, who left Mansfield to join Chesterfield two weeks ago, so has quickly turned his attentions to free agents Tipton and Johnson.

The forwards will be at the Williamson Motors Stadium this week to open negotiations with Hodgson who is chasing his first signing of the summer.

Quakers freed up space in the squad when they released a third of their squad in May and although many of their League Two rivals have been busy in the transfer market, as yet, excluding Akpo Sodje who was on loan at the end of last season, no new faces are at Darlington.

One of those released, striker Craig Russell, will be playing in the Arngrove Northern League next season after signing for Newcastle Blue Star.

Read more about the Quakers here.