LATICS remain in the hunt for fresh faces following French-born playmaker Johan Branger’s arrival from FC Dieppe on a one-year deal this week.

The 24-year-old Gabon international scored 11 goals in 26 games last season in the fourth-tier of French football.

New boss Frankie Bunn will be looking to bolster his squad having allowed Patrick McEleney and Craig Davies to depart Boundary Park with the new campaign now only four weeks away and the players back in training.

Bunn won’t be drawn on potential targets – it remains to be seen whether his son Harry, currently at Bury, could be an option up front – or if the manager’s obvious links with Huddersfield Town make former Athletic goalkeeper Joel Coleman a possibility in the loan market.

Branger, who came through the youth ranks at Auxerre, said: “I’m happy to be part of the Oldham Athletic family. I can’t wait to challenge myself in England.”

The news comes after Gevaro Nepomuceno signed a one-year contract extension.

The Curacao international wide man, 25, who made 30 appearances last season, scoring one goal, said: “With a fresh start we need all the club together and we need to win as many games as we can. I like Frankie Bunn as a person and a coach. I’m happy to be a part of the way he thinks and how he wants to play.”

McEleney, meanwhile, described his own move to Latics as “a disaster” after rejoining League of Ireland side Dundalk for an undisclosed fee. The forward, who made just nine appearances for Athletic, scoring one goal – a deflected effort in a 2-0 victory at Scunthorpe in March – struggled with injuries after agreeing terms in December.

The 6ft Irishman, 25, never hit the heights despite being heralded by then-manager Richie Wellens as a player to get fans off their seats.

“It was a bad decision — a bit of a disaster,” McEleney told an Irish newspaper.

McEleney follows strikers Craig Davies (Mansfield, undisclosed) and Courtney Duffus (Waterford, on loan until November 4) out of the exit door.

Davies, 32, hit 14 goals last season, while Duffus, 22, scored 10 times for Waterford in his first spell.

Gyamfi Kyeremeh, Brian Wilson, Tope Obadeyi, Ollie Banks, Paul Green, Abdelhakim Omrani, Mason Fawns and Kallum Mantack have already left the club along with goalkeeping coach Carlo Nash who has joined National League Salford City in the same role.

Latics play their first pre-season friendly on Tuesday when they take on National League North side Ashton United at Hurst Cross (7.45pm).

Another fixture has been added to the schedule with Athletic taking on Spanish La Liga side Girona in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Manchester City’s training complex on Tuesday, July 24.

The friendly fixture list now reads: Ashton United (away, Tuesday, July 10), Curzon Ashton (away, Saturday, July 14), FC United (away, Tuesday, July 17), Nottingham Forest (home, Saturday, July 21), Girona (July 24) and Preston North End (Saturday, July 28).

Latics kick-off their League Two campaign at home to MK Dons on Saturday, August 4.