SARACENS will use the increase in the salary cap to swell their first-team squad to 40 players next season.

The 12 Zurich Premiership clubs recently agreed to raise the salary cap by £250,000 to £2.247million for next season in bid to increase squad size and reduce the risk of player burn-out, a move welcomed by Sarries chief executive Mark Sinderberry.

"It was time to increase it," said Sinderberry. "In the two years I have been here I have seen a lot of clubs make significant financial gains and the fact that the clubs have agreed for the cap to be raise can only be good for the league.

"We are very keen to increase the size of the squad this summer," he added. "We must make sure we are able to cover during the Six Nations period, particularly in the back-row where we were down to the bare bones this year. We must have more players in the squad and that's the objective for us. We would like to have a squad of 40-first-team players."

Sarries' first-team squad currently stands at 36, meaning they are likely to make at least four summer acquisitions.

Head coach Steve Diamond is currently in the market for a full-back to provide cover and competition for Mark Bartholomeusz and Dan Scarbrough, and a young second-row to complement the experience of Kris Chesney, Simon Raiwlaui and Iain Fullarton.

Diamond will also make a move for a scrum-half should Kyran Bracken decide to hang his boots up at the end of the season.

Diamond is likely to retain the nucleus of the squad for next season, releasing one possibly two players, and he will be delighted that Glen Jackson and Chesney are close to agreeing extensions to their current deals, while Ben Johnston will begin talks next week about the possibility of extending his stay at the club.