KEITH Curle has reiterated his intentions to turn Chester City into serious promotion candidates by bolstering his new-look squad with four more signings.

The ex-Mansfield boss has raided his former club to secure the signature of defender David Artell and he has also captured out-of-contract trio Luke Dimech, Tom Curtis and Abdou El Kholti.

The Chester boss was delighted: 'They are players I have been after for a while now. I know their strengths having worked with most of them at Mansfield, and I know they are players that will play and train week in week out.

'We needed a professional element, with strong characters in and around the club. They are all capable of playing in a team that could finish in the top seven of this league.'

Artell signed after a third bid for the defender was finally accepted, following the intervention of chairman Steve Vaughan to finalise a fee.

The big defender was delighted to be reunited with his former boss and was quick to back him saying: 'He didn't get a fair crack of the whip at Mansfield and the reason I chose the club was because I think we can be more successful than them this season.

'He'll do well for Chester City and I think there is no point aiming for mid-table. Outside the top seven is failure for me.'

Curle also unveiled former Mansfield pair Luke Dimech, a Maltese international, and midfielder Tom Curtis.

Curtis believes the manager's ambition means the club will be successful next season adding: 'I know Keith from Mansfield and I know how he likes to work.'

The only player of the four without a Mansfield connection is Abdou El Kholti, who had previously been at Cambridge United.

The attacking midfielder wants the club to at least finish in the play-off zone and is excited about the forthcoming season and the ambition of his new manager.

Curle is hoping to have assembled a 22-man squad before the new season and hopes to bring in one or two new faces at the start of next week.

He said: 'I have to piece together pieces of the jigsaw puzzle and see how I want to play.

'I've been looking forward to the start of the season for the past six months, and now it is close you can feel the excitement building at the club.'