Doncaster Rovers transfer news: Grant McCann out to hit ground running with 'six or seven' quick signings

It means the likes of Billy Sharp have days to decide if they will be part of the journey too.

Since returning for a second spell in charge of the South Yorkshire club, McCann has been adept at getting his transfer business done early. Although it is less than a fortnight since Rovers won League Two, McCann has already got bids in for new players, and has decided against taking a family holiday this month so he can press ahead.

Most football managers talk about wanting to get signings done by the start of pre-season, but McCann is one of the few who consistently does. Rovers report back on June 25, heading out for a week's training camp in Spain shortly afterwards.

He has signed 30 players over the last four windows.

In his first, Rory Watson and Mo Faal arrived in the first week of the season, Tom Nixon was loaned from Hull City on July 24, but the other nine additions were in by July 14.

Four of six January signings arrived by the 11th.

He had signed seven players by July 1 last year, with Patrick Kelly loaned from West Ham United a couple of days before the season started and Brandon Fleming completing business a week later. All three mid-season signings came in the first fortnight of the window.

“We're hoping maybe six or seven new players can come in to make us even more competitive next season,” explained McCann. “Those conversations are happening already.

“I don't like to wait. I like to get into the targets very quickly.

“We've got offers in at football clubs to show our interest and that we mean business, really.

“It's a difficult time now with people on holiday, play-offs, and people don't really want to commit but what was really beneficial for us last season was having the squad ready to go in pre-season.

“I've made a real conscious decision to abandon the family holiday at the end of the month because I'm determined to get it right.”

McCann believes he will have a competitive budget that allows him to bring in high-quality free transfers, loans and paid-for signings.

“It's great we're promoted, it's great we won the league but it's not great if you go up to League One and you're scratching around to win games,” he said.

“We didn't want to go into another division and just be floating around, we wanted a budget that gives us a chance. Terry (Bramall, the chairman) and Gavin (Baldwin, chief executive) have done that. I didn't expect any less.

“I've got to work diligently in terms of the budget but I will. I think that's a strength of mine.

“We're not focussed only on permanents, we're in all markets. We're not ruling out paying a small fee either, that's not a problem.

“We've had players watched diligently since January and we'll stick to that plan, work our way through that list.”

The trickle-down of this year's Club World Cup is an extra transfer window, from June 1-10 to do early business. It reopens on June 16 until September 1, this year closing at 7pm – not that the earlier deadline will probably make much difference to Rovers.

Joseph Olowu told Doncaster late last season he will not be renewing his contract, and McCann has told Sharp, Ian Lawlor, Tom Anderson and Bobby Faulkner he wants to know by Monday if they will accept the offers made to them.

He is also looking for a new first-team coach after a backroom shuffle.

Lee Glover will leave that role to become head of recruitment, taking that brief off James Coppinger to allow him to concentrate on coaching. Head of medical Dave Rennie will add head of performance to his brief, taking the analysis team amongst others under his wing.