Crewe Alexandra welcomed their first additions of the summer on Monday by confirming the permanent signature of midfielder Billy Bingham and the loan signing Adam King from Swansea City.
24-year-old Bingham is a creative central midfielder and arrives straight from a six-year spell with League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge, where he featured consistently last season.
Making 37 league appearances and scoring four goals last season, Alex boss Steve Davis is looking towards the ex-Crystal Palace youth graduate to improve a midfield which was consistently bypassed last term.
Bingham signed a two-year contract at Gresty Road, where he will join King - who has penned a six-month loan deal at the League One club.
The 19-year-old became the second signing later on Monday afternoon, signing on loan after joining Premier League side Swansea in January last year.
He has found chances at a premium as he continues to develop, and has been handed a temporary spell at the Alex in order to find increased game-time.
King came through the ranks at Scottish side Heart of Midlothian, before putting pen-to-paper on a three-and-a-half year deal with the Swans 18 months ago - where he made one first-team appearance last season, in a 6-2 victory over Tranmere Rovers in the early rounds of the FA Cup.
Crewe begin recruitment to replace outgoing free agents
The recently-announced pair will come as much-needed relief to Crewe fans, who have grown increasingly frustrated with the club's reliance on loan deals in recent transfer windows.
That, mixed with the fact that a number of prominent first-team players from previous years, have left the club already the summer - has left the Railwaymen needing to act quick with their pre-season soon to get underway.
Box-to-box midfielder Anthony Grant left for arch-rivals Port Vale, whom Crewe host on the opening day of the league campaign next month, whilst captain Matt Tootle left for newly-promoted Shrewsbury Town.
Added to the releases of young midfielders Billy Waters and Liam Nolan, striker Vadaine Oliver and goalkeeper Scott Shearer - Crewe needed to bring in new recruits to add to the Academy prospects who have been promoted to the first-team.
Alex supporters will be hoping that these deals are the first of many to come for Steve Davis' side, who have been forced to rely on deadline-day heroics to stave off relegation the last two seasons.
Crewe are also being linked with ex-Swansea centre-back Alan Tate, who was an everpresent with the Railwaymen last season, but the club are believed to be prioritising other areas of the squad before examining whether they can finance any move for the veteran defender.
Crewe prepare to get pre-season programme underway
With the League One season opening in early August, Crewe Alexandra are warming up for their imminent pre-season friendlies - which see them travel to Congleton Town this Friday.
That fixture is followed by trips to local sides Alsager Town, Newcastle Town, Nantwich Town, Kidsgrove Athletic and Altrincham all before the end of July.
Crewe, having only relaid their pitch in late May after a friendly between Northern Ireland and Qatar, will not play on home turf before the start of the season - travelling to lower league duo Chester City and Kirby Muxloe for two final warm-up games.