Bristol City boss wants duo signed by Saturday Thursday, August 01, 2013 BRISTOL City head coach Sean O'Driscoll has made it clear he would like to sign both Marlon Pack and Marlon Harewood before the start of the season. With just 48 hours to go until the Robins launch their League One campaign against Bradford City at Ashton Gate, O'Driscoll and director of football Keith Burt are frantically trying to bolster a squad depleted by injury and unexpected departures. City's head coach is also in the market for a quick striker to replace Steven Davies, who joined Blackpool last week, and is currently pursuing a list of targets. And he would also like to recruit another defender to provide competition and cover for first-choice right-back Brendan Moloney. A deal for Pack could be concluded as early as today, providing City can satisfy Cheltenham Town's financial demands. Although Pack is out of contract and Cheltenham boss Mark Yates is resigned to the midfielder leaving, the League Two club are still paying his wages, so they can command a compensation fee for a player who is aged just 22. Cheltenham value the midfielder play-maker at £100,000 but were prepared to accept around £80,000 when League One Crawley Town came in for Pack earlier this summer. But the troubled Sussex club were unable to put the money together to finalise a deal and City's offer is now the only one on the table. Because Pack is considered fit enough to play immediately, O'Driscoll wants him on board in time to feature in the squad to face Bradford, while Cheltenham want him off the wage bill and are likely to accept any bid that falls roughly midway between £50,000-100,000. Owing to his lack of match fitness, a deal for former Aston Villa and West Ham striker Harewood is less of a priority and it remains to be seen whether or not he is offered terms before the weekend. But O'Driscoll is keen to bring both Pack and Harewood on board and he confirmed: "Both are still training with us and both are in our plans. "We have to have a discussion about what is best for the club but, ideally, I would like to have both of them in the squad, as well as another striker. "We are looking at what we can and cannot do and that is ongoing as we speak."
