NEWPORT County boss Jimmy Dack has blasted the bureaucracy that is threatening to scupper a proposed move for a striker.

The Exiles have until 5pm today to replace Rene Howe as the loan deadline looms large for the Football League clubs.

County have had a striker training with them all week and are desperate to clinch a deal for him to join the ranks at Rodney Parade until the end of the season, but are being held up by red tape.

International clearance is required and Dack is furious that the Exiles may yet have to “move on to plan B,” if they can’t push the deal through.

“We are having a bit of a problem at the moment, we’ve had someone training with us for four days and have an agreement with his club,” he said.

“But we seem to get punished for being a Welsh club in an English league, we have to do this international clearance and everything becomes a bit of a problem.

“We’ve had problems with it in the past and it is coming back to bite us on the backside at the moment.

“We do want to get one in, but we are going to need an answer in the next hour or two.

“It’s one player, he’s been in League One, started six games for them and got four goals and we know he is a goalscorer and he wants to be here.

“But there is red tape in the way, it is a crazy situation of stopping a player plying his trade.”

Dack feels Newport, along with Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham, should be under the jurisdiction of the English, rather than Welsh, Football Association.

“I think we should be governed by the English FA, it is crazy, we are playing in an English league but after still classed as a foreign club," he added.

“It’s a crazy situation and it is stopping the player from being here.

“It’s totally unfair. We are at a disadvantage compared to English clubs looking to sign players.

“It is a tough situation. I was on the phone all day yesterday. I’ve got a plan B in place, but I’m still waiting on calls on plan A that should’ve come through on Monday.

“It is working against the Welsh clubs, it happens to us every season and no-one is prepared to do anything about it.

“But if plan A doesn’t happen, we move to plan B. I have to bring a forward in. That has to happen. We haven’t been scoring enough goals and it is an area where we need to improve.

“I’m hoping to have news in the next hour, but I’ve been waiting since Monday. How long is a piece of string?

“We definitely need a striker in. Rene Howe has left and we may lose Chris Zebroski in the middle of April.”