YORK City have offered a contract to gutsy defender Djoumin Sangare.

The former Salisbury City centre-back has impressed City boss Martin Foyle enough to be offered a deal ahead of tonight’s pre-season friendly at North Ferriby United (7.30pm).

Sangare featured for more than 70 minutes of Saturday’s defeat at home to Bradford City and will be back in contention tonight as will almost the rest of the Minstermen squad.

Said Foyle: “He gives us a bit of spine right across the back four, so we have put an offer of a contract to him. We’re just waiting to hear back.”

Established sentinel David McGurk should be back in the reckoning tonight after recovering from the heel injury which has blighted his pre-season, while new signings Neil Barrett and Alex Lawless may also figure after being hit by injury.

However, Craig Nelthorpe is likely to miss the game as he is “feeling under the weather”.

Foyle added City needed a battle at UniBond League part-timers North Ferriby.

He said: “I thought Bradford bullied us in that first 25 minutes, although we started the game well, and once the goal went in it went a little bit flat again.

“We are going there to do a favour for Steve Torpey’s mate. Torps played for them last year, so we know they are going to welcome us.

“It’s a decent surface and if it is a battle, it is a battle. We have got to start working just that little bit harder.”

City will unveil a new away kit when they host Hartlepool on Friday (7.30pm).