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Ebbsfleet United want to sign two centre-forwards this summer

Fresh firepower is top of Ebbsfleet United's summer shopping list.

Danny Kedwell played 53 games this season and spent much of the campaign up front on his own but he'll be 35 in August.

Darren McQueen has been out injured since September and the strikers brought to the club in the last 12 months have made little impact.

Ebbsfleet manager Daryl McMahon Picture: Andy Payton
Ebbsfleet manager Daryl McMahon Picture: Andy Payton

Danny Mills spent half the season on loan at Dartford while Antonio German and Febian Brandy played just 67 minutes between them.

There were cameo roles from Southend loanee Norman Wabo during the run-in but Tranmere, who knocked Ebbsfleet out of the National League play-offs on Saturday, quite simply had more attacking options on the pitch.

Fleet boss Daryl McMahon said: "When you look at their two forwards (Andy Cook and James Norwood) and the two wide players, that was the difference.

"They've got 49 goals between them and they're two good players, proper players.

"Their movements and power is good, they work hard and make it difficult for you.

"That's somewhere we can improve if we can get the right one at the right price.

"We're certainly in the market for a couple of strikers."

Aaron McLean, 34, is now part of Ebbsfleet's coaching staff but Kedwell will play on in 2018/19.

"He's definitely a big part of my plans," McMahon said. "He's an unbelievable character, an unbelievable player and I don't know how he does it to be honest.

"He just keeps defying logic and sports science.

"He's an old-school footballer with an old-school mentality and he's fantastic in that changing-room."

Fleet have set the bar high after finishing sixth in their first season back in the National League.

McMahon said: "It's been a good season but there's lots we'd like to improve on.

"To try to do what we did this year next year is going to be hard as well, let alone go past it but we'll try.

"We have to build on this and keep moving the club forward.

"It's the busiest time of year for me. We've got quite a bit of work to do to make sure we get who want in the summer.

"I've spoken to some players already, who would like to come to us and now we know what league we're in we can start looking at it more seriously."

McMahon has stamped his ethos throughout the club from playing style on the pitch to a mature and professional approach off it.

"It's the most important thing to me," he said.

"We've created a culture where people know how to behave, how to apply themselves and buy into each other and respect each other and that won't go away.

"That's our strength and we look to build on that now."

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