BURY have drawn up a list of potential attacking signings chairman Stewart Day believes would propel them towards automatic promotion next season.

The Shakers have hit a rich vein of goal-scoring form in their last two home games, following up a comprehensive 4-0 win over Plymouth Argyle with Saturday’s thrilling 4-4 draw against Portsmouth.

Everton striker Hallam Hope was the star of that match, becoming the first Bury player since 1999 to score a league hat-trick.

But the 20-year-old loan signing is due to go back to Goodison after Saturday’s final match of the season at Morecambe, leaving the Shakers with just Daniel Nardiello of the recent first-choice strikers still under contract.

Day, however, is confident the club’s strikeforce next season will be the envy of their League Two rivals.

“The players we are talking about bringing into the club are exciting players and players that are going to get us out of this division,” he said.

Nardiello is the club’s leading scorer this season with 11 goals in his 27 games, but Bury have relied heavily on loan signings to supplement their tally.

Blackburn Rovers target man Anton Forrester netted seven times for the Shakers before a knee injury ended his season early, while Hope has scored five goals and Danny Rose managed three before being recalled by Barnsley.

Clive Platt, with two goals, is the only other striker currently on the Bury books to have scored for the first team, but the 36-year-old’s deal runs out in the summer.

“There are areas to work on – (manager) David (Flitcroft) and his coaching staff know that – but the hard work starts now to get ready for next season and the top three is the target,” added Day.

“We have got things that we are looking at in terms of bringing in more quality up front because obviously Hallam Hope and Danny Rose have both been loan players.

Flitcroft has warned, however, that the club may have to be patient to snare their main targets at the best price.

“When everyone has played their 46 games, things will open up and hopefully we can get one or two in, but we’ve not set any deadlines,” he said.

“We are getting a lot of vibes that people want to come to us, but we’ve done a lot of business this season and already have 12, 13 or 15 players who can really take us forward, so it’s not a case of rushing.

“I do think the football world is going to turn upside down in the summer, with financial fair play coming in. “So there is going to be some real good quality available.”