Bristol City: McInnes eyes a 'Maynard style' striker

Bristol City manager Derek McInnes has confirmed he is scouring the transfer market for a striker in the Nicky Maynard mould.

The Championship club has yet to find a replacement for top-scorer Maynard, who was sold to West Ham United for £1.65 million in January.

McInnes still has Brett Pitman, Jon Stead and Ryan Taylor at his disposal, yet none possess the searing pace and ability to play off the shoulder of the last defender that made Maynard one of the Championship's most feared strikers.

Although City's manager has made recruiting a centre-half and a goalkeeper a priority, he admits he is also on the lookout for a new striker to complement those already on the books at Ashton Gate.

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"We never replaced Nicky in January and I think there is now a need for that type of player," McInnes said.

"It would certainly be good to have that kind of pace and goal threat.

"We let David Clarkson go and lost Chris Wood back to West Brom at the end of last season and, although I have three good senior strikers, I think there is a need to add a new dimension."

Signed from Bournemouth by previous manager Keith Millen for £800,000 two summers ago, Pitman is now established as a proven goal-scorer in the Championship, but he lacks the pace and movement to play as a lone striker, while fellow forwards Taylor and Stead are strong in the air, adept with their backs to goal and prepared to run the channels and chase lost causes.

McInnes acknowledges the need to add pace to that mix in a bid to increase the attacking options at his disposal when the new Championship campaign kicks off on Saturday, August 18.

He added: "If we can get two or three different types (of striker) into the squad, it does give you the option to play a variety of different ways.

"We have retained the nucleus of a good squad and now there are other dimensions we feel we need to add to it.

"The biggest thing for me is having options in the forward areas and I would like someone who can play off a main striker, who has pace to go in behind and hurt the opposition."

McInnes has already recruited veteran midfielder Jody Morris on a free transfer from St Johnstone and left-back Greg Cunningham for an undisclosed fee from Manchester City and the Scot wants another three new faces before the transfer deadline.

But with five weeks to go before the big kick-off, he insists he will not be hurried into making signings.

"Of course, we are trying to get things done and push transfers through, but we are only interested in bringing in players who will improve us and we are prepared to be patient," said McInnes.

"We are working hard as a club and I am delighted that Jon Lansdown (football director), Keith Dawe (chairman) and Steve Lansdown (owner) all want the same thing as me. We all want good players and we feel an obligation to bring them to the club.

"But people have to realise there are more teams vying for the good players and we are working in a very competitive market. We have to make sure that players see City as a good place to be for their careers and a club that is capable of realising all of its ambitions."