Brighton Bears are poised to complete their first new signing of the close season as they prepare for their toughest ever campaign at home and abroad.

Coach Nick Nurse has snapped up Manchester-born point guard Steve Gayle, who was with Worthing Thunder last season, to kick-off what should be a hectic few weeks of off-court activity for the British League champions.

Gayle, 24, was Thunder's outstanding back-court player last season and has worked with Nurse before as a youngster at title-winning Manchester Giants.

He had previously never played outside his home city.

Nurse said: "He was a scrawny young kid then. He's still pretty scrawny but he's not a kid any more.

"He can put the ball in the basket and he can really play.

"I would expect him to be my back up point guard but he tells me he's good enough to start for us."

Gayle admitted: "It will be nice to team up with Nick again.

"I had a great year with Worthing but going into Europe is my next move.

"I know European competition will be hard. It's always tough in Europe."

Gayle will be operating alongside fellow Mancunian Yorick Williams, who is the only other player confirmed for the new season so far.

Power forward Andrew Alleyne has confirmed he wants to come back and even withdrew from the Barbados national team to help him rest for the next British League season.

The futures of Jason Siemon and Mike Brown remain unclear.

Tom Frederick, though, is out for the season after suffering Achilles damage playing in a summer league in Italy.

Talented though he is, Gayle's arrival is unlikely to cause shock waves around the FIBA Europe League, in which Bears will play at least 14 games in the coming season.

The fact, however, that Nurse has revealed details of a new signing is significant nearing the end of a summer when speculation about the future of the Bears has been rife, caused partly by a lack of news coming out of the club.

Most alarming was the departure to a lowly French second division team of last season's top scorer, and top earner, Kendrick Warren.

Bears had taken first option on signing Warren for the forthcoming season.

Nurse said: "The option involved him getting more money and I thought I could get better value elsewhere."

Rico Alderson, Sullivan Phillips and Randy Duck have also left but Nurse's reputation suggests he will build another strong team.

He added: "I'm definitely excited about the new season. We will have a really talented team, though obviously a lot different from a year ago. We are going to guard people like mad and get rebounds but I also expect us to play better team basketball than last season.

"We haven't told people much yet but no one is revealing anything now.

"Everybody is playing their cards close to their chests."

Key to Nurse's masterplan for the new campaign will be who fills the pivotal point guard slot occupied by Duck and Phillips last season.

Nurse has hinted that the new playmaker will come from a rival British League club, though TJ Walker has been crossed off the hit-list after agreeing to stay with Newcastle.

Fans get their first chance to see the new team in action when Bears host an international tournament at the Triangle next month.

Action starts on Saturday, September 18, when top-flight French side Gravelines meet London Towers (6.30pm) and Bears take on Team USA Select, a collection of touring American players showing off their skills to would-be recruiters (8.30pm).

The following day sees USA Select play Towers (midday) and Bears face Gravelines (2.00pm) with coaching clinics for youngsters before and after the matches, running from first thing in the morning.

Bears go to Cherbourg on September 16 to face French ProA outfit Le Havre.

League fixtures are due out within a week.