Glenavon manager Paddy McLaughlin wouldn’t be drawn on if there’ll be further incomings at Mourneview Park, admitting “a lot can happen” in the closing stages of the transfer window.

It has been a busy summer for McLaughlin, who has brought in 10 new players, including the likes of Stephen Mallon, Harry Murphy and Francely Lomboto, as the Lurgan Blues look to improve on last season’s Premiership finish.

The market is still open for just under a month, giving Irish League clubs ample opportunity to recruit after watching their side in action during the opening stages of the new season.

McLaughlin’s men will get their campaign underway when they welcome Ballymena United on Saturday and finished pre-season preparations with a 3-0 weekend defeat to H&W Welders.

placeholder image — Glenavon manager Paddy McLaughlin. (Photo by Alan Weir/Pacemaker Press)

"When things settle down and players get up to speed of what we want them to do, how hard we want them to work and tactics, it’s going to be an exciting season for us, there’s no doubt about that,” McLaughlin told the club’s media channel.

"We’ve got exciting players, really good footballers, honest professionals in there, so we have a good mixture of what you’d need going into a big season.

"When things settle down and we get up to speed...it could take five or six games before you get your true form in the league. We want to hit the ground running straight away.”

When asked if Glenavon’s transfer business is complete, McLaughlin added: “You never know, never say never.

"There’s always room for improvement and if anybody gets complacent, lacklustre and thinks they are here for an easy ride, things can change very dramatically for them.

"You never know. The window doesn’t close for another month and a lot can happen.”

Glenavon took on a wide range of pre-season assignments, kicking off against Premier Intermediate League outfit Moyola Park on July 1 before facing the likes of German side Erzgebirge, League of Ireland leaders Shamrock Rovers and reigning Irish League champions Linfield.

McLaughlin admits a testing schedule was compiled on purpose as they prepare for another Premiership campaign which the former Cliftonville boss feels will be “unpredictable”.

It has been a productive transfer window for many, including the likes of Coleraine who will now have sights set on challenging at the top, and McLaughlin believes the gap between teams has narrowed.

"It will be one of the most unpredictable Irish League seasons in a long time,” he added. “Everybody has improved, everybody has got better and there’s been a lot of money invested into a few clubs over the last couple of years.

"I think the gap between the top-six and bottom-six has definitely narrowed. When you look at Cliftonville winning the League Cup and Dungannon winning the Irish Cup, it’s really tight and competitive.

"We designed our pre-season schedule to make sure every game we played was tough and every training session we made high intensity. That’s what the league is about.”