Sunderland manager David Moyes insists he is trying to bring in some new players before the start of the new campaign as he tries to improve the club’s fortunes.

The Black Cats, 3.60 to be relegated, did enough to stay up last season thanks to former boss Sam Allardyce.

The former Bolton coach has since left the club in the middle of pre-season to take the England job but Moyes is now at the helm and planning for the future.

He admits that he was offered the job in the past but didn’t believe the club could stay up but now the Scot is determined to help them move clear of relegation for good.

However, the former Everton and Manchester United manager has admitted that new signings are needed after Allardyce had a clear out at the end of the year.

With less than two weeks until the start of the new season, Moyes has confirmed he is busy trying to add to his current crop of players.

He told the Chronicle: “I think Sam did brilliantly to keep them up, an incredible job, and I think we need to remember we are a couple of players down on where we were in May with players going back from loans,.

“We need to get some players in to improve. We have some talent, we have some good players and we need to add to it.

I need competition because everybody has to realise that if you’re not playing well, you’re not going to be in the team. At the moment we don’t have that.

“There’ll be differences to Sam so I’ve got to try and implement that in a short time.

But the biggest thing is the squad’s short of numbers. There’s no doubt we have to make signings and I believe we definitely will do.”