Exeter City suffered disappointment in the play-offs last season after falling to Blackpool at Wembley, and manager Paul Tisdale will spend this summer attempting to pick his players up for another crack at the top three next year.

Tisdale will look to make new additions to his squad this summer to inject new emphasis into the side, and has already acquired the services of forward Ryan Swan ahead of the new campaign.

With a month to go before the new year kicks off, Tisdale has a lot to do if he is to challenge with his big spending rivals, and must make significant improvements if he is to challenge with early favourites such as Mansfield and Luton.

The Grecians have lost 16-year-old defender Ethan Ampadu to Chelsea in recent days, who was set to consistently break into the first team at St James Park this season after impressing in a series of outing last year.

The club’s defence needs a boost, and adding free agent Lewis Buxton to the squad would be a welcome addition to Tisdale in the coming weeks.

The 33-year-old enjoyed a short loan spell with the club way back in 2002, and having been released by promotion winning Bolton, is in the market for a new club.

Buxton is an extremely experienced player following spells with Stoke and Sheffield Wednesday, and would be an excellent marshall in the Grecians back line.

A move to Devon would appeal to the player, and if Tisdale can convince Buxton of his promotion ambitions, he may just be able to pull off a deal for the player, who would be a real coup for the club.