Bristol City are hopeful of having a new goalkeeper at the club before pre-season starts, with manager Michael Skubala wanting to strengthen the squad in an ideal world before pre-season gets under way next Thursday. The players will return to the Robins High Performance Centre for pre-season testing on Thursday, June 25, with the Reds staff already hard at work behind the scenes. But with the departure of Manchester United loanee Radek Vitek after his loan ended, one position the Robins are short in is in goal. The goalkeeping ranks are rather bare, with Joe Lumley remaining under contract for a further season, as does Lewis Thomas, but Skubala knows an addition between the posts is needed and preferably sooner rather than later. Skubala admitted when questioned on the need for a new stopper, 'I'd like it to happen before pre-season starts.' The club have been linked with Sam Tickle, the Wigan Athletic glovesman, who is highly rated and has also been rumoured to be of interest to QPR. However, Wigan Today has reported that as of yet, the Latics have not received a bid approaching Tickle’s valuation. Bristol City's manager is keen to make sure that the club is in a strong position with the goalkeeping unit, and is working hard behind the scenes to achieve this. The Robins are in a good place, but Skubala knows that they need to add to the unit, and is hoping to do so before pre-season starts. With pre-season testing just around the corner, Bristol City's fans will be eager to see who the new goalkeeper will be, and whether the club can strengthen their squad in time.