His side drew 1-1 in the first game of the season and followed that up by beating Crewe in the Carling Cup this week but Holloway is still looking for additions to the squad.

“I think I’ve got a very good side here but I need to add to it and make it a very good squad. I need people from another level to take us forward and help us try to climb up the division.”

One of these players from another level could well be the Arsenal youngster in question after he gained permission from Academy Director Liam Brady to try and convince him, and his agent, to choose Blackpool over his other options.

“I’ve got a massive yes from Arsenal – from Arsene Wenger and from Liam Brady – about a player. I’ve got to convince the agent that the player should come to me and not choose other teams. I can’t tell you the name of the player, but if I’ve got to go to London to meet him I’ll do it. I’ve got to provide him with a chance in the first team and make sure that lad is being looked after and is developing.

“That’s what I can do, I’ve done it before and people will realise that. Whether Blackpool have done that before I don’t know. But people have loaned me their young players and I’ve helped them – players like Scott Sinclair and Lee Martin. I have a proven track record and hopefully this agent will allow me to do it again.”

So who do we think it is then? Your guess is probably as good as mine but below I have looked at several of the possible names in the frame:

Randall has been rejected by fellow Championship side Derby County earlier this pre-season, while Nacer Barazite is almost certain for another loan deal following a loan spell last season. Meanwhile Sanchez Watt seemed to earn a lot of trust from Wenger during pre-season and was rewarded with an appearance in the Emirates Cup, but with so many forwards ahead of him a loan spell could be on the cards. Frenchman Francis Coquelin is another possibility following a highly successful first year at the club but his midfield partner Frimpong is less likely to be allowed to develop away from the club.

Henri Lansbury was set for a move to Scunthorpe but any loan deal has been put on hold after picking up an injury so it’s unlikely to be him, and although there have been rumours surrounding Jay Emmanuel-Thomas with a move to Sheffield Wednesday Holloway could swoop for the versatile teenager.

Jay Simpson is an outside bet with so many other clubs also interested after a decent loan spell in the Premier League last season.

Holland U21 0 – 0 England U21

In a very poor display of football England started their new season by salvaging a draw in a toothless game lacking excitement or cutting edge. England lined up with a negative 4-5-1 formation with James Vaughan isolated up front as the lone target man and it never looked like it would pay off as the more attacking Holland side dominated possession without ever really troubling Scott Loach in the 1st half.

The way Pearce sets up his side tries to mimick the way that the England first team do but fails to do so as all the creativity that the England team has with the likes of Gerrard, Lampard and Barry the England U21 replaces with workman-like and solid players such as Rose, Rodwell and Cattermole who are good without the ball but often disappoint with it. Not only that, rather than play a proper second striker as Capello does with Rooney, the U21s chose to use Delph, a very talented player in his own right, but very much a central midfielder who never looked like someone who was operating in the hole.

The best threat England could come up with throughout the whole game was a storming Micah Richards run and one-two that left the Man City player with a clear view of goal on the edge of the area but his shot was one fitting of a right back and never looked like it would beat Tim Krul.

Their Dutch counterparts were also lacking clear cut chances despite their better possession and were limited to long range strikes at goal, the pick of which was Barazite’s curling effort that whistled past the post in a very poor half from the Arsenal youngster.

Nacer Barazite did start to have a growing influence in the 2nd half though as he started to drift from the target man role he had began the game with. First he set up Emnes for a clear chance that was squandered amid penalty shouts, before seeing a few good efforts test Fielding later in the half. The closest the Dutch came though was through substitute Vurnon Anita whose strike came back off the crossbar as time ran out for both sides to liven up this bore draw.

Jack Wilshere saw his first minutes in an U21 England shirt but saw his debut disrupted by constant substitutions and changes in the position he was expected to play, being forced into three different roles in the half an hour he was on the field of play. I have a feeling that he will be hoping to make the step up to the full England team sooner rather than later as I can’t see Pearce’s brand of football suiting him.

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England U20 5 – 0 Montenegro U20

An entirely different story in the Midlands last night as England finished up comfortable winners over Montenegro in their final warm up game ahead of the U20 World Cup in Egypt next month.

England had already gone close twice and failed to convert a penalty when Manchester United player Febian Brandy finished off a chance created by Vidal to give the England sie the lead. Brandy wasn’t finished there either as he bettered that goal with a stunning volley just before half time to give England a comfortable lead at the break.

It took three minutes to open their account for the 2nd half with another Man Utd prospect Tom Cleverley getting on the scoresheet this time as he found the bottom corner with a low strike. It took over half an hour to further increase the lead with England goalkeeper Rudd having to make a couple of stops himself to ensure the Montenegrins didn’t find a way back into the game.

But with 8 minutes left Tom Cleverley put the game even further beyond the reach of their opponents with a fine goal before Bolton Wanderers forward Tope Obadeyi added to the scoreline in the last minute of the game. Overall a decent workout for Eastick’s team ahead of the real challenge in Egypt.