COLCHESTER United boss John McGreal is pleased with his summer transfer business and feels confident the club have moved smartly to replace their departing stars.

While the likes of Sammie Szmodics, Frankie Kent and Brennan Dickenson have moved on, top talent has been recruited including Jevani Brown, Omar Sowunmi, Luke Gambin, Michael Fernandes, Paris Cowan-Hall and now goalkeeper Dean Gerken.

“We’ve lost a couple of players and you can’t begrudge those players going onto bigger and better things when they’ve been great for us," said McGreal, ahead of tonight's final home pre-season friendly against Charlton Athletic.

“But the club hasn’t stood still; it’s being able to identify what we need to try and improve the club and get the goals.

“We feel as though we’ve replaced them with good players and, potentially, better players.

“Obviously there’s going to be a few teething problems because there’s been quite a lot of change with players coming in and going out.

“But the trip we had (to Carden Park) helped the boys get to know each other and we’re gearing up for the new season."

Colchester eventually finished eighth in League Two last season, missing out on the play-offs by a whisker after an 87th-minute equaliser for Newport County at Morecambe.

The Welsh club therefore clinched the fourth and final play-off spot instead of McGreal's men.

“We want to keep moving forward," said the U's boss.

“Our next giant leap is to make the play-offs and that’s what we want to do.

“We missed out by a point last season and, if you look at the finer details, by two minutes after all of that hard work."

Colchester will be hoping to bounce back from their heavy home defeat against neighbours Ipswich Town on Friday.

The League One new boys proved too strong for McGreal's side, as James Norwood's hat-trick and Kayden Jackson's brace condemned the U's to their first defeat of the summer in front of a crowd of 5,210.

Colchester’s starting line-up featured four of their summer signings, with Gerken, Sowunmi, Gambin and Brown featuring.

But there was no Ryan Jackson in the U’s side as he missed out with a stomach injury, with Kane Vincent-Young continuing at right-back and Cameron James starting at left-back.

Midfielder Brandon Comley came off the bench as a 73rd-minute replacement for Tom Lapslie and McGreal said: “Brandon had his injury which took longer than expected.

“Now he’s back and fully fit and he’s been able to get himself a good start to pre-season under his belt."