Lee hails Tracey 'bonus' and wants four more deals

Shilow Tracey joined Crewe from Cambridge United in June 2023

Crewe Alexandra manager Lee Bell says Shilow Tracey's new contract is a "massive bonus" for the club in his efforts to sign four more players before the start of the League Two season.

Striker Tracey agreed a new one-year deal, with an option for a further 12 months, last week having missed the last two months of 2024-25 after breaking his leg.

The 27-year-old is still working his way back to full fitness and, although there is not timeline for the player's return to the squad, Lee says the fact that Tracey is staying is a big boost.

"I'm absolutely delighted with it and I think it's brilliant from the club to do that," Bell told BBC Radio Stoke.

"They backed our judgement with it. He's been a massive part of our success - you could see that last year when we lost him and the impact that had on the team.

"It's a massive bonus for us."

Tracey scored six goals last season, with his final one in the club's 3-1 win at Chesterfield on 1 March - a result that put the Alex into the play-off places.

But his season as ended in the 4-1 home defeat by Fleetwood Town in the next game with Crewe winning only one of the final 11 games as their promotion challenge faded.

Bell is aware fans will want to know when Tracey might be back but cannot give a definitive answer at the moment.

"I don't want the question every week 'when is he fit?'," Bell said.

"The boy's got some work to do still. He'll go and see a specialist again in a couple of weeks which will give us an indication of when he can step up his rehab.

"He looks as fit as a fiddle and let's hope it's sooner rather than later but certainly in the immediate future that [his comeback date] is not for now.

"We have to make sure we get him in a comfortable position to get back on the pitch."

'Lots of conversations'

Tracey is one of three Crewe players to commit their futures to the club this summer along with four new signings - loanees Tommi O'Reilly and goalkeeper Sam Waller and permanent arrivals Josh March and Reece Hutchinson.

Bell says work is ongoing to add to those.

"I'm trying to target to get four players in between now and the start of the season. Whether we can do that, I'm not sure," he said.

Bell said the club were still waiting for the green light on another possible loan signing and revealed there were "lots of conversations, lots of phone calls and lots of watching" going on with the club's technical director Josh Kennard and recruitment analyst Joe Peach.

Crewe begin the League Two season at Salford City on Saturday, 2 August.