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Blackpool boss makes admission on Middlesbrough man as he reacts to Bolton Wanderers reunion Blackpool have added two new players to their ranks this week ahead of their League One opener against Wycombe Wanderers. Blackpool boss Ian Evatt admits Finley Munroe’s move to Bloomfield Road has been a long time coming. The defender joined the Seasiders earlier this week on a season-long loan from Middlesbrough - but has been of interest to the Fylde Coat outfit for quite some time. Throughout the first half of last season, the 21-year-old caught the eye with his performances for Swindon Town in League, with two goals and nine assists coming his way in 27 appearances for the Robins. This prompted his then-parent club Aston Villa to recall him in order to facilitate a permanent move to the Riverside Stadium. Evatt is pleased to add Munroe to his ranks, and is excited to see what he can bring to proceedings ahead of Saturday’s League One opener against Wycombe Wanderers. “We needed some more balance, and there’s still areas of the team we need to strengthen, but we’ve got some time to do that,” he said. “Fin is a player we’ve looked at for a long time - we actually tried to get him in January, but he had a big move to Middlesbrough, and we can’t compete with Middlesbrough unfortunately. “Luckily for us, he’s not quite ready for their team yet, so we’re able to get him here. We got a huge recommendation from Ollie (Ian Holloway), which is important to me because he knows what good looks like. “He’s a talented kid. He’s had one or two little niggles in pre-season so we have to be slightly cautious with him, but from the way he’s trained this week, I’m excited to work with him. “He’s available and will be involved tomorrow (against Wycombe) but we will err with caution.” Subscribe now for HALF PRICE and catch every minute of our Seasiders coverage this season - from pre-season to the final whistle. Click here Less than 24 hours after Munroe’s arrival, Blackpool also added Luke Southwood to their ranks for an undisclosed fee from Bristol Rovers. The 28-year-old, who previously played under Evatt at Bolton Wanderers, swiftly fills the spot left by Franco Ravizzoli’s move to Leicester City in order to provide cover for Bailey Peacock-Farrell. “It’s not an easy place to recruit,” Evatt added. “I want him to come in to push Bailey and compete with him, that’s really important, but everyone sees Bailey as a lad who’s had a really good career already and is an international goalkeeper. “Sometimes recruiting alongside him people think they’re not going to play before they come in, which isn’t really the right mindset. “Luke and Bailey know each other, they’ve worked with each other at Northern Ireland, which is important, as that goalkeeping unity needs to be strong. “It was a no-brainer to recruit him. He’s come in and is a good person first-and-foremost.”