With the Sky Bet League campaign getting under way this weekend as Vale host Cambridge United, Neil Aspin has admitted that he is still chasing a couple of loan additions to add extra quality to his squad.

The manager has drafted in 12 new faces already this summer, but he has revealed there is likely to more before the end of August when the window for temporary deals slams shut. 

He said: “We are still looking at the loan market, but there is a little bit more time for that because you can go until the end of August.

“I would still like to bring one or two players in, but we have still got a couple that we would like to go out as well - you never know what is going to happen with that.

“Hopefully in the next couple of weeks, there will have been some movement both in and out of the club.”

One player who Aspin has openly admitted he is keen to bring back to the club is Kyle Howkins. 

The West Bromwich Albion defender made the temporary switch to Vale Park last season, and the manager is keeping in contact with his parent club to see if he can bring him in once more.

“Kyle has had a knee operation and he’s due to play his first game soon. He has been training and West Brom know we’ve expressed interest to take him on loan,” Aspin said on the prospect of re-signing the 22-year-old.

“If he comes through that match all right, it might be a case that we can take him. We would like to sign him, but it’s always down to his parent club as well."