BOLTON are racing to follow yesterday's signing of striker Chris Armstrong with another front man and a central defender before Saturday's deadline.

They have been linked with Derby County's Belgian World Cup striker Branco Strupar while Malcolm Christie is also available, although probably out of Bolton's price range.

The new transfer window system prevents Premiership clubs signing players after 5pm on Saturday until January 1.

That piles pressure on managers like Bolton's Sam Allardyce to get his squad up to strength but it also presents the possibility of cash-strapped clubs having to sell below market price before Premiership clubs leave the market.

Derby boss John Gregory, whose club are feeling the pinch after being relegated from the top flight in May, admitted this week: "We have players who might be going to the Premiership before the end of this week."

Cutting the wage bill

He needs to cut his wage bill and, apart from 32-year-old Strupar and Christie, 23, would also listen to offers for defenders Chris Riggott and Danny Higginbotham, formerly of Manchester United.

Armstrong, 31, got down to work at Bolton's Euxton training headquarters today (Thursday) after joining Wanderers on a short-term contract but he won't be seeing a ball for at least a month.

Allardyce has handed the former Spurs man, who was released by Glenn Hoddle in May, to the tender mercies of his backroom fitness staff.

He reckons it will take between six and eight weeks for Armstrong to catch up with the general Bolton fitness levels so he will be undergoing an intensive training programme before he gets the chance to kick a ball.

Allardyce said: "First we need to get him fit enough and strong enough to be able to compete for a first-team place.

"Then we'll give him a few reserve games and hope that he can prove he can still do the business in front of goal.

"But it doesn't mean that by signing him I've finished looking to improve my strikeforce. I am still working on bringing in another striker and a central defender before the deadline."

Sam gets his man

Allardyce has developed a habit of getting his man in the transfer world and while his hopes of landing Real Madrid defender Ivan Campo have receded, he has never actually written him off.

He needs to get players out to make room for imports, as shown by this week's departure of Bo Hansen back to Denmark.

The midfielder was on contract until the end of next season but read the signs after not being in the squad for the first two games and accepted a three-year offer from Midjylland.

Bolton are also prepared to part with Colin Hendry who has been linked with a move to join his former Scottish boss, Craig Brown, at Preston. Hendry has not encouraged Reading interest.

Wanderers are stepping up their efforts to gain clearance for Turkish Under-21 midfielder Akin Bulent.

Will Armstrong be a good signing? Have your say.