CITY have their sights on adding four new faces to the squad in January.

Stuart McCall wants to bolster his resources to maintain their promotion push going into the new year.

With the transfer window reopening in just 19 days, the Bantams are preparing the groundwork.

McCall sat down for talks last week with chairman Edin Rahic and head of recruitment Greg Abbott to draw up a list of potential recruits.

“We had a long meeting to target areas of the park we feel need to be strengthened,” said the City boss. “We think there are a few that could do with a little bit more.

“We’ll definitely be looking to bring in four if we can. But it’s all right targeting players, it’s then going and getting them.

“You want to bring in people who are going to help make you stronger. But if you’re after better players, it’s obvious that other clubs are going to be looking at them as well.

“But the work has started and wheels are in motion.”

City will also have to make a call on several in the squad whose current deals run out next month.

They remain very keen on keeping Alex Gilliead but that still hinges on what Newcastle will decide to do with the players currently out on loan. Championship clubs are rumoured to be tracking the winger.

Burnley’s Luke Hendrie has proved a useful option and McCall is a fan of his versatility. The situation with Brentford left back Tom Field is less clear.

Keeper Lukas Raeder and centre half Lachlan Barr, who is on loan at Harrogate Town, are also on short-term contracts that will expire.

McCall said: “We’ve got a few people out of contract in January and we’ve discussed those options.

“We know what we’d like to do next month but things can change.

“Like anything, you can have targets and the next minute there might be an injury or a player might get in the team at his club and start doing well.

“It can have a knock-on effect and the situation can suddenly become very different.”

Charlie Wyke was City’s headline signing last January with a £250,000 arrival on the final day of the window. They also signed Alex Jones and youngster Jacob Hanson while taking Gilliead on loan for the first time as well as back-up defenders Kevin Toner and Matt Penney.

Jones was snapped up from Birmingham within the first week and McCall felt at the time that it took some of the panic out of a frantic period.

He is hoping that City can do something similar when the window reopens.

“It would be nice to do that again,” he said. “We’re targeting the players and then I leave it to Greg and Edin to try to do the deals – hopefully the earlier the better.”