JOHN McGreal is confident that Colchester United will be an attractive proposition for potential new signings, this summer.

The U’s are on the hunt for additions after falling just short of securing a League Two play-off spot, this season.

Colchester are competing with rival clubs for signatures and McGreal admits that they do not have the financial clout of some of their divisional counterparts.

However, the U’s head coach says there are a number of reasons why a move to the JobServe Community Stadium can be seen as an appealing option for the players they have targeted.

McGreal said: “We may not have the biggest budget in the league but what we do have is fantastic facilities and a DNA and reputation of what we’ve done over the last couple of years.

“That does bring players into the building and that’s what we’ll try and do to have a good chat with them – then it’s obviously their decision.

“We’ve got unbelievable facilities for where we are at the football club.

“With what Robbie (Cowling) and Tony (Humes) have done with the academy, they’ve improved it with the boys who are now coming through and getting the fruits of their labour and that’s a big plus.

“The way we play is also a big thing – Steve (Ball) and I have tried to implement a certain style of football in the three years and we’ve been able to attract these type of big players to the club on how we want to do things.

“If you look up and down the four divisions, it’s more often than not the bigger budgets in the top two, three or four as such.

“I think the chairman has gone on record to say where we are but we try and improve players and improve teams.

“It’s our DNA – that’s how we’re able to attract the likes of Harry Pell and Frank Nouble last summer.

“We’re hoping it’s the same again this summer, with decisions being made and people we’re trying to attract.

“We’re hoping that facilities, how we try and do things and being very, very close in two of the last three years will be able to attract those players.

“That’s how we’ll continue to do things and continue to move the club forward, because we’re a fantastic club.

“We’re all trying to strive to get into the play-offs – we haven’t been able to make it but it’s not for the lack of trying.

“We’ve missed out by a point in two of the last three years and we’ll just keep going and trying to improve.

“I think we’re improving the club year by year by the type of players and the type of football and our boys coming through.”

McGreal has stressed that Colchester will not rush into making new signings, this summer.

“We’ll take our time and I don’t want to be rushed to bring in players just for the sake of it,” added the U’s boss.

“You only have to look at the ticker tape on Sky to see that decisions are being made.

“There’s constraints at every club and that’s the nature of football.

“There’ll be a lot of players made available and a lot of clubs after those players and that’s when the competition comes.”