PAOLO Di Canio is targeting a new arrival at Swindon Town before January 12, as he looks to build a squad capable of securing promotion from League One.

The Robins boss is believed to still be pursuing Sheffield Wednesday striker Gary Madine, whose services he failed to acquire on emergency loan deadline day in November, and he wants a fresh face in place in time for the trip to in-form Bournemouth next month.

As of Saturday, however, the Italian had yet to hear from the County Ground money men and therefore he was unsure how substantial his financial clout will be in the January transfer window.

“I don’t know what’s going on and I still haven’t received one phone call,” he said. “It’s not an accusation of the board but just because I want to do my best for the club and also for them.

“Now there is more positive energy around and I want to do the best I can to keep the players I have now and why not bring in someone else?

“If we can I would like to bring in a player between January 5 and January 12, and a player that I have in mind since three months ago. We will see.”

One player Di Canio has been impressed by in recent weeks is on-loan midfielder Danny Hollands. The Italian is unsure whether or not he will have the chance to extend the Charlton man’s spell in Wiltshire, but he stressed that he would love to keep the 27-year-old with the Robins.

He said: “Danny Hollands in the first two games I thought ‘who have we got in here, a ghost?’ “He had a little problem, now in the last two games and in the training sessions he is the player probably over my expectations but he is the player that I knew was good.

“He is the one when he’s under pressure in the middle he has the time to go out on the ball with experience. I would like to keep him but I know it is hard.”