DANNY Cowley says he will assess Colchester United’s current playing squad to get a clearer view on where they may need to strengthen in the transfer window.

The U’s have already brought in forward Conor Wilkinson from Motherwell since the window opened last week but have lost top scorer Joe Taylor, who has returned to parent club Luton Town.

Colchester have the opportunity to make further reinforcements over the coming weeks, with sporting director Dmitri Halajko and head of recruitment Ross Embleton working on potential deals.

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But following his appointment as the U’s head coach alongside assistant Nicky Cowley last week, new boss Danny is keen to get an overview of the club’s current playing squad before making new signings.

Cowley said: “First and foremost, it’s for us to understand what’s already in the building.

“Dmitri (Halajko) and Ross (Embleton) have done a really good job with the recruitment up until this point.

“We’re looking forward to working with the whole group.

“It’s important that we come in the building and see where we are from the inside looking out.

Gazette:

“Over the next seven, 14, 21 days as the window unfolds, we’ll start to get a clearer and clearer picture of what we’ve got in the building and what we actually need to help support the players we already have here.

“That ultimately will be our ambition in this transfer window.”

Colchester made their first signing of the window last week when they brought in Wilkinson from Scottish Premiership side Motherwell for an undisclosed fee.

Wilkinson made an immediate impact on his debut, coming off the bench to play his part in the U’s equalising goal in the 2-2 draw at Swindon Town, last Saturday.

“Conor is a player that they’d already signed, before we came to the club,” added Cowley.

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“He’s a boy that we know well and I think he’s a really talented player.

“I know him from his time at Leyton Orient and I know him from his time at Walsall and Dagenham and Redbridge.

“He’s just come back from Scotland, where maybe it didn’t work out quite as well as he would have liked.

Gazette: Conor Wilkinson

“But he’s a very skilful player and I think he’s a player who can play in multiple positions, at the top end of the pitch.

“He has a real confidence in himself, which is a really good quality.

“We’re looking forward to working with him.”