Walsall Player Manager Paul Merson has ruled out any more players arriving at Bescot - other than Toni Nhleko if his work permit is sorted out - unless the club are challenging for the playoffs in a move that seems to suggest he has all but written this season off.

“I am starting to look to next season and saving the budget because at the moment we’re in a Catch 22 situation” he told the Sunday Mercury.
“We are virtually the same number of points away from the relegation zone as we are from the play-offs and we’ll have to see how that keeps going.
If we win a couple of games, get on a run and get closer to the play-offs and further away from the bottom then it might be time to go and get someone.
But it’s a case of how we are now and when it has to be reassessed. You don’t want to waste money”.

As for Nhleko, the former Brann and Dallas Burn player is in South Africa trying to sort out his work permit. How this matter can be resolved remains to be seen, as he has not played the required 75 per cent of international games over the past 12 months and he hasn’t played for them for almost a year, in the African Cup of Nations.

In those circumstances, it is difficult to see how a work permit could be given, but Merson said “I’m very optimistic that it will work out and if it isn’t soon then it will be next season”.

Certainly time is running out, as the transfer window applies for non EU players being signed from abroad, so there is only a week to go.

The Sunday People reports that Julian Bennett is being lined up as a potential replacement for Joleon Lescott.

Middlesboro are willing to pay up to £2.5m for Lescott, which has led to Wolves telling Walsall to name their price for their promising young defender.

Should their reported interest develop, it is believed that a fee within the region of £0.5m would persuade the Saddlers to let him go.

The long term interest from Crewe could push Wolves to make an early move. Wolves will be well aware that the Dean Ashton money is there ready to be spent.