David Flitcroft has told the Chronicle he is 'a step closer' to bringing Chris O'Grady to Barnsley on a permanent basis while he is also on the lookout for another striker.

The Barnsley boss confirmed he has approached Motherwell hitman Michael Higdon, who was the SPL's top scorer last season with 27 goals, and Jon Stead, who has been released by Bristol City after they were relegated.

But Flitcroft's primary target is O'Grady, whose parent club Sheffield Wednesday are locked in talks with Barnsley over a deal.

Flitcroft said: "We've moved a step closer with Chris O'Grady this week. It's been a case of one step forward and one step back. Chris has made no secret of his desire to play for Barnsley and we're now just in the final procedure of tying up a deal for both clubs. It's a step closer but it's still not done and I won't be happy until his name is on the dotted line."

Higdon, 29, previously played for Crewe, Falkirk and St Mirren before his move to Motherwell, who will play in the Europa League next season after finishing runners-up in the Scottish Premier League.

Stead, 30, has been sold for a total of more than £5million in a career that has seen him play for Huddersfield, Blackburn, Sunderland and Ipswich. He scored just five goals last season for Bristol City but two against the Reds in their 5-3 win at Ashton Gate in February. The Yorkshire-born striker is thought to be keen on a move north.

Flitcroft added: "We've spoken to the representatives of Jon and Michael and they're two players on our radar. We need two strikers who can hold the ball up and there's other options as well. For every target you need eight targets. There's a lot going on behind the scenes in terms of recruitment.

"I hope to sign two or three players in pre-season, take two more with us to Spain and we're also looking at possibilities of six-month or season-long loans."