IAN McCALL is hoping to bring Lewis Mayo back to Firhill on loan next season as the Partick Thistle manager outlined his intentions for the summer transfer window.

McCall has been working behind the scenes to finalise a squad for the new campaign and Cove Rangers left-back Harry Milne, Ayr United centre-half Aaron Muirhead and Falkirk striker Anton Dowds have already agreed moves to the Championship outfit.

Five senior players have been released and loan signings from the previous year have returned to their parent clubs but McCall is keen to press on with the Jags’ transfer activity.

There have been meetings with Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson to discuss the possibility of a return for Mayo for another season, while the 57-year-old believes the club are not too far away with finalising another two deals.

“Right now we still have 13 or 14 signed,” he said. “We are going to need a goalkeeper for competition with [first-choice keeper] Jamie Sneddon and I’ve not ruled out Lewis Mayo coming back.

“To go and compete and do better than we did this year, we need to get players that are pushing other players down the pecking order and making them fight. I think we have a strong core.

“I’m away [on holiday] on Thursday for eight days and it will be the first time in three years and I’m hoping to get one or two done before then. I think we are close.

“I think the strongest part of the team is the midfield but I do think we need a different type of midfielder, one that makes runs forward, and I think we have that tied up already.

“I’ve spoken to Lewis about it and I have a meeting with Ross Wilson [on Tuesday]. I think it will be up to Lewis because there might be other teams in for him. I don’t want to flood the team with loans but I do like loans that are going to be regular players.

“The other one that I’m hoping to get on loan, it’s almost tied up, I would expect him to play a lot of games in midfield as well.

“I really think I can help Lewis with various aspects of his game and he is only going to get better and better. We signed big Aero [Muirhead] to cover various positions in the squad but he won’t be happy being a squad player.

“That improves the squad and that’s the type of attitude we need. We need another centre-back, whether it’s Lewis Mayo or someone else.

“I’m very happy with the left-back we’ve signed, I think he’ll be as good as there is in the league, if not the best. I hope to have a right-back sorted in the next week.”