Wigan Athletic boss Steve Bruce admits he wants strengthen several areas in his new squad.

"I would say that in terms of numbers, the squad we have is quite thin in a lot of areas," Bruce told the Wigan Evening Post. "I'm not saying it's short on quality. Players like Emile Heskey, Jason Koumas, Marcus Bent and Antonio Valencia are four attackers worth £5m-plus.

"You must have quality attackers to survive, though.

"At the bottom, there are probably eight teams looking to avoid relegation. If you haven't got goals in the team, you're finished.

"When I came at the start of last week, I told everyone they had until January to show me they were genuine Premier League players. But even if every last one of them impresses me, I will still be looking to strengthen.

"We need competition and cover for injuries."