NICKY Featherstone sat down with Hartlepool United chiefs to discuss transfer targets this week as the National League side look to take a more "analytical" approach to recruitment under new owner Landon Smith.
Teessider Stephen Wearne - who is currently out of favour at Carlisle United - is one target for Pools, Featherstone confirmed. Strengthening the attack is a priority for Hartlepool and Wearne, who spent time at Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Sunderland early in his career, is one of the players in the club's thinking.
"He's another one that's on the list," said Featherstone.
"He's being discussed but it's nothing more than that at the minute. What I've seen of him - whether that's playing against him, me personally, or watching him from afar - he's got quality and he'd definitely add to this group.
"Again, he's just a player that's been identified and that's what it is at the minute - nothing more, nothing less than that."
Featherstone added: "We've actually got a meeting after training today [Thursday] to discuss some profiles. We've got a new system in place where we're going to look at things from an analytical point of view and that will help us in terms of identifying the players that we want.
"Ultimately it's still my decision in terms of character references and who I want in the building, but this is a brilliant tool to help identify the type and profile of players we want to attract."
On the pitch, Pools head for Brackley today looking for a third successive National League win.
Brackley, who won promotion last season, are 16th in the table but are unbeaten in their last four and had won three on the bounce prior to a draw with Truro last time out.
Featherstone said: "They're not in bad form to be fair, they're a tough team to play at their ground.
"They've beaten Forest Green at home, so they're capable of beating the better teams in the league. We'll have to be at our best again, we can't afford to let our standards drop because once we do we become a fraction of the team that we are.
"We've got to be at it, I've just got to think of an XI now that is fresh enough and fit enough to go and put on a performance at the end of a really tough week.
"Brackley look like they're going to cement themselves for another year in the National League. They'll be fine, they're not a bad team; they're just solid in what they do. They're really compact and hard to beat, that's why they get results. I'm expecting a tough game."
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