Stags' boss Steve Evans has revealed that he'd like to make three additions to his squad to reinforce the push for promotion when the January transfer window opens next week.
Last season, the gaffer made eight signings in January as he revitalised the Stags' squad, who were 17th at the turn of the year, and took the battle for a spot in the top seven of Sky Bet League Two to the final day of the season.
And with his current side sitting just one point off the top seven and three off the automatic promotion places, the gaffer has identified his targets who he believes will make the Stags even stronger in the second half of the campaign.
"I think we'd like to bring three into the building. Our chairman (John Radford) and chief exec (Carolyn Radford) were having dinner a night or so ago with a chief executive of a football club in the Championship about a signing," the Stags' chief said.
"Where that's gone, I don't know; I'm waiting to hear from the chairman or Carolyn and they'll do that in due course. We've got some names that we will make moves for but only after we come out of Wycombe.
"We have a little period because most of the lads that you'd be going for now would be cup-tied for the FA Cup. When we come out of Wycombe, of course we're not getting carried away about where we go, but we're going to Cardiff so we've got a 10-day window to make sure we're stronger than what we are going into the window, if that makes sense.
"We have some names and one of them I gave a week or so ago to the chairman and he said 'we know these people well, let us deal with it' – that's why he's the boss."
"We certainly want them to be in the building to be training for five or six days with the team. We're going to try and be as selective as we can but we've got names at the top of our list and we obviously have a descending list below that.
"We have some names and one of them I gave a week or so ago to the chairman and he said 'we know these people well, let us deal with it' – that's why he's the boss."
The former Leeds United manager would like to bring in a central midfielder, to compete with Joel Byrom, as well as a frontman to provide a different option to Stags' current attacking quintet.
"I think there's two or three possibilities, depending who we can get in, what specific areas we'd like to strengthen. I think there's no hidden secret we'd like someone in to compete with Joel [Byrom], because when Joel goes out the team, it's a huge loss.
"I think he'll be back maybe for Cardiff, which would be brilliant because he's a huge loss for us. We can't run the risk; he's had two longer term injuries this season, he's been more out than in.
"We need to bring someone in and balance that for us and it's very difficult, because you're asking to bring a top player in, in that position, and it's hard to get. I don't think it's any secret that we'd like to bring someone in up top that adds to what we've got."
In addition to Byrom being sidelined, the boss revealed that defender David Mirfin has undergone a small knee operation after being forced off in our Checkatrade Trophy clash with Blackpool earlier this month.
"David Mirfin's had a minor op, so we'll see where that goes in the next couple of weeks.
"The prognosis on that was good from the medical department, and Joel Byrom had a little setback two or three weeks ago but I think last week was the first week the medical department came and said 'he's not far away now, we're getting him there very quickly'."
One striker who Stags have been linked with is Peterborough United forward Ricky Miller, but the gaffer insisted that no conversations have taken place about the former Dover man.
"I've had the Peterborough press ask me about that – I've not had one conversation about Ricky Miller with Peterborough United.
"I speak to Barry Fry here and there, I speak to Darragh MacAnthony here and there because I go back with those guys a long time, as long as Darragh's been at Posh and Barry for 20 years, when he was helping me out when I was a young manager at Stamford. I've had absolutely no conversation about Ricky Miller."
Supporters will be able to view the manager's full news conference on iFollow Stags later today.
