ATHLETIC have signing targets in mind ahead of their return to the Championship next season – and are hopeful of making moves soon.

James McPake has said that they are “continuing to work” on potential additions to the playing squad, but is pleased to have what he described as the “spine” of his successful League One title winners tied down for the upcoming campaign.

On Monday, goalkeeper Deniz Mehmet – whose deal was due to expire this summer – put pen to paper on a three-year contract with the club, which McPake said he was “over the moon” about.

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The 30-year-old, who kept a club record 24 shut-outs in a single season – 21 of which were in the league, in which Athletic conceded just 21 goals in 36 games, setting more club bests – is the latest player to commit his future to the club following their title glory.

Last week, winger Kane Ritchie-Hosler, who impressed whilst on loan from Rangers, also penned a three-year deal after the Pars secured his services for an undisclosed fee, whilst Aaron Comrie agreed a two-year extension to his existing deal.

Prior to the season ending, defender, Rhys Breen, forward, Craig Wighton, midfielders, Matty Todd and Joe Chalmers, and full back, Josh Edwards, all also signed contract extensions as they prepare for second tier football after once more after a solitary season away.

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The capture of Ritchie-Hosler is just the fourth permanent signing – after captain, Kyle Benedictus, vice-captain, Chris Hamilton, and goalkeeper, Max Little, last summer – McPake has made since taking over as boss a year ago.

He subsequently supplemented his pool by bringing in Sam Fisher, Chris Mochrie, Robbie Mahon, Ewan Otoo and Paul McGowan, as well as Ritchie-Hosler, on loan throughout the campaign and, when asked if any new signings could be imminently in the pipeline, told Press Sport: “Hopefully, yeah.

“We are continuing to work. The Premiership just finished on Sunday. There’s still play-offs to go, but we’re quite happy with where we are in terms of we needed to get people tied down. We needed to get the spine, or for want of a better phrase, of the squad all sorted.

“We’re continuing to look and we’ll continue to do that.”

The Pars will play their first pre-season friendly against German Bundesliga 2 outfit, St Pauli, on June 23, and will return to training in the run-up to that match.

Although McPake, who issued his players with fitness programmes at the start of the week to work on ahead of their return, is due to have a break, he said that efforts to recruit will be ongoing - but hasn’t a specific number he’d like to bring in in mind.

“It’s important to get a break as well, but you don’t get a break on this side the same way you do as a player,” he continued.

“There’s plenty people here in terms of the recruitment side of it, but the work is ongoing, and it has been, so that doesn’t change if I’m here or not.

“It’s not trying to avoid a question, but it’s important we assessed what we had.

“We had the three that left, the loan players we know about as well, so there is a gap there, but it’s not just a case of everybody that left, we need to replace them with a player.

“We’ve got certain targets in mind. We know exactly who those targets are, and we’ve been working on them, so in terms of the numbers, we don’t know.”

Whether there are new faces joining the squad for the start of pre-season training remains to be seen, but, of those who will be there, McPake believes that they will have benefitted from their end of season break.

Competitive football for the Pars squad will resume in mid-July, in the Viaplay Cup, before the Championship begins at the start of August, and McPake, speaking on Monday, added: “This summer has been a good break for the players. I think I said it at the end of the season that they did need it, being involved in the play-offs last year as well, and we got them in a bit early, just obviously because we were new. We wanted as much time with them as possible.

In terms of the work, and how many days we’ve got with them, it’s the exact same as last year, so it’s been an important break. They start their programmes today anyway; it’s something we’ve done at other clubs, it’s something we believe in, so the players will come back well rested, but ready to go for another tough season.”