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LEE JOHNSON” the Athletic manager won’t be rushed into bringing new players to the club.

LOCAL players are the preferred option for Athletic manager Lee Johnson as he scours the market for cut-price bargains.

Last week’s arrivals — Mike Jones and Brian Wilson — both wanted a return to their roots in the area.

For Jones (26), that meant swapping Crawley for a home closer to his Birkenhead birthplace.

And Colchester captain Wilson (31) exchanged life in Essex for a move close to his native Manchester for family reasons.

Johnson has made a point of targeting players who won’t need to settle into completely new lives in an unfamiliar area.

“I want good players in our price range — the best we can possibly do within our budget,” the Athletic boss said. “We have made a conscious decision to sign players who are based locally. It means there are no relocation costs and players feel settled. In turn we can provide more money as a basic wage, or use the cash elsewhere.

“It doesn’t mean that we won’t sign anyone who isn’t local. But I want my core group to be settled in the region.”

Jones was carefully studied by the club over an extended period.

“We have probably watched every single touch of his over the last 20 games of his season. He doesn’t get the credit he deserves,” said Johnson.

Johnson is prepared to wait for the right player and plans to check out trialists in upcoming friendlies.

“A lot of names are being bandied about and we have our list,” he added. “We could move on two or three very quickly if we wanted to. But I am waiting to see if we can get that real sparkle.”