Raith boss Gary Locke is keeping his fingers crossed that he will be able to announce a new signing within the next 24 hours.
The Rovers manager was keeping tight-lipped over the identity of the target but he admitted the player would fill the void left by defender/midfielder Lewis Toshney after he joined Dundee United.
Even if Locke does manage to get this one over the line, he is still looking to bolster his forward options and will once again run the rule over the two trialists, Tarique Fosu and Joel Coustrain, who featured against Partick Thistle in midweek when Rovers face Arbroath in a friendly tomorrow at Gayfield.
Fosu went out on loan from parent club Reading to Accrington Stanley at the end of last season and was named the League Two player of the month for April while Coustrain has played for Ireland Under-19s.
Locke said: “We’re hoping to announce a signing within the next 24 hours. We’re waiting on one or two things happening there.
“Things are moving along, not as quickly as myself and Darren (assistant boss Jackson) would like, but every manager I speak to is in the same position at the moment.
“There are players you want, but clubs are reluctant to let them go until they get others in.
“We just have to wait on all that happening and hopefully they’ll be in place at some point next week.
“The signing isn’t a striker, which is frustrating, because I’m well aware that we do need to strengthen that department.
“But, with Toshney leaving, I felt we needed a replacement in that area.
“So, I’m hoping that will happen.”
Locke added: “Two trialists played the other night and we’re pleased with how they did.
“They’re going to be with us again on Saturday and we’ll have another look at them.
“And then I’ll make a decision on them after the game on Saturday.
“They’re both forward players, which is pleasing, because we’ve not got many of them.”
Raith’s squad is stretched at the moment with the departure of Toshney being compounded by players suffering from niggles as well as injuries to two key players, Mark Stewart and Scott Robertson.
Locke said: “It’s not ideal at the minute but, aside from Scott Robertson, they’re only little things, nothing too major.
“Scott is the only one that is a worry at the minute. He’s got this problem with his groin and stomach that he’s had over the summer.
“It’s taking a while to settle down, so we’ll just have to wait to see how he progresses.
“But it’s not looking great for him starting the season, because he’s not done any pre-season work yet.
“Hopefully it’ll settle down and we can get him back in amongst the group.
“Obviously I wasn’t here but I think he had it last season as well. He certainly couldn’t do anything over the summer.
“It’s one of those injuries where you just hope rest settles it down, but it’s taking a bit longer than we hoped.
“Mark has a thigh problem, so he’s not trained for the best part of a week and a bit.
“These boys aren’t far away but, at the end of the day, there isn’t any point in risking them at the moment.
“I would rather see them all fit and ready for this week.”
