CREWE Alex completed their 10th signing of the season with Spurs winger J'Neil Bennett joining on loan before last night's transfer deadline as Owen Dale agreed a loan switch to Blackpool.

Highly-rated 19-year-old Bennett will be with the Alex until January and was earmarked as replacement for Dale, who had been in the sights of the Tangerines through the summer.

Bennett has been a regular in Tottenham's under-23 side and the Premiership club were keen to see him earn experience on loan in the EFL.

He made his senior debut off the bench in a Europa Conference League win over Pacos Ferreira at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this month.

But it was playing for the Londoners' under-18 side that he made the most visible impact of his career to date when scoring the first goal at Tottenham's new stadium in March 2019 as part of a test event at the £1 billion football venue.

The loan deal completes a busy summer for Dave Artell as he bids to reshape a side hit by a series of key departures, the latest of Dale.

After starting off with the capture of former Motherwell striker Chris Long, the Alex boss added defenders Kayne Ramsay (on loan from Southampton) and Tommy Hoban (centre-half) to his squad.

Experienced midfielder Shaun McDonald signed a two-year deal, while centre-half Terell Thomas penned a one-year contract and Manchester City allowed promising teenage attacker Ben Knight out on a season-long loan.

Left-sided defender Callum McFadzean joined on a permanent basis at the end of last month and a flurry of activity this week has seen former Wycombe striker Scott Kashket and on-loan teenage Celtic midfielder Scott Robertson arrive as well as the latest addition of Bennett.

However, former Watford and Aberdeen defender Hoban has since left the club after choosing to retire from the professional game; Thomas' arrival was effectively a replacement deal.

With the potential for Dale to follow Charlie Kirk [who joined Charlton earlier this month] through the exit doors, Artell stepped up reinforcement up front. Kashket was targeted to offer attacking options both on the flanks and down the middle.

When interest in Dale - who had been declared unavailable for the last three weeks because of illness - was firmed up ahead of last night's 11pm deadline, the Alex boss finalised the Bennett loan deal.

This morning Blackpool unveiled Dale's signing - which they aim to make permanent in January - after their paperwork was ratified by the EFL.

Tangerines boss, former Alex Academy coach Neil Critchley, revealed he had tracked Dale through the close season.

"Owen had a fantastic season for Crewe last season and is a somebody that I coached during his formative years in the academy, having joined when he was six," Critchley told Blackpool's official website.

"He's had a great upbringing at Crewe and has the appetite, drive and enthusiasm."

Meanwhile, former Alex striker Nicky Maynard, who remained a possible signing while he was was training with the club, joined League Two Tranmere last night along with former Alex loanee Stephen Walker.