FORMER Shakers manager Alan Knill has refused to rule out a swoop for some of Bury’s promotion-winning squad.

The 46-year-old is now in charge at Scunthorpe United, who will compete against the Gigg Laners in League One next season.

Most of Bury’s best players are under contract for at least another year, which means they will command transfer fees, but the Iron boss has already made enquiries about Nicky Ajose, who has returned to Manchester United after completing his loan spell with the Shakers.

“There were no clauses in any of the contracts to stop me going back to Bury and they've got some good players, that's for sure,” Knill told the Scunthorpe media. “It's an option, but if I'm perfectly honest, I'd be loath to do it.

“It took us a long time to build up that squad, three years to get a promotion-winning team.

“But I'd never say never because they've got some good players and we should be interested in good players."

Knill has already been linked with Ryan Lowe, Joe Skarz and Kyle Bennett, while he is known to be a big admirer of Michael Jones.

But Knill knows he will have to spend if he wants to plunder his former club.

“The Bury players are all at a really good age and it was important that, if they hadn't gone up this year, we felt that group of players would have done extremely well next year,” he added.

“That was the reason why I put them all on good contracts.

“Once you've got a good group of players you want to try to keep them together. I want pretty much the same at Scunthorpe.”