Paul Simpson says Carlisle United still have “live” transfer targets which he hopes will come to fruition on deadline day.
The Blues are trying to make a deal happen for a new centre-forward.
And while Simpson has spoken about repeated frustrations in the market, he is still hopeful of a breakthrough.
“There are a couple of things which are live at the moment where we’re hoping to get something done,” the Blues boss told the News & Star today.
“We’ve got players we are wanting to try and get in, and if we can we will get them in preferably before 12pm on Friday so they can be involved at the weekend.”
United have until 11pm on Friday to add to their squad, with Simpson confirming they are still aiming for players who fit the target-man profile.
He said permanent and loan signings are still being explored.
There also remains a possibility of outward movement from Brunton Park on the last day of the window.
“I think if we were to bring somebody in, yes, there might be somebody going out,” said the Blues manager, who revealed today that Corey Whelan had turned down interest from Colchester United.
“It’s not something I’ve discussed with the player yet.
“There’s been an enquiry for one that, if we get the right one in, I’ll put it to them just because I think they’d probably have more chance of playing games.
“The first month of the season has taught us some lessons – it’s given me a view of who can cope and who maybe needs to think about going somewhere else. That’s something we just have to assess over the next 36 hours.
“We’ll wait and see.
Simpson, speaking to BBC Radio Cumbria earlier in Thursday’s press conference, spoke about the regular frustrations United had suffered in the market.
He said the club had, in recent times, made four bids for players, three of which would have seen United’s transfer record broken.
Yet those and other enquiries had not been successful, with Simpson saying the sort of money other clubs were paying had made it a highly challenging summer for Carlisle.
“We’re still working to try and do something. We’re doing everything we possibly can. We’ve done so much work so far,” he said.
“It’s the most frustrating transfer window I’ve ever been involved in because of the reluctance of some players to come out, the reluctance of some to come to this location, the reluctance of clubs to sell them, the type of money they’re talking about.
“We’re pushing to a level that we’ve not done before as a club, but it’s not even half of what others are doing at this level, and it’s quite scary.
“I’ve not known anything like it. But it is what it is and we just keep working.
“I will work to try and get somebody in by 12pm on Friday so they can be involved at the weekend, if that doesn’t happen we’ll keep going until 11pm.
“If nothing comes in we go with what we’ve got.
“We know this is going to be a challenge. Even if we get one player in, it’s still going to be a challenge for us because we know we’re competing at a really tough level and we’ve got to keep working to do it.”
Simpson said that “ideally” Carlisle’s business on deadline day would be on a permanent basis but he added: “If that can’t be done we’ve got to be prepared to take loans.
“We’ve got four loans in at the moment, who are all involved. If it has to be another loan and we can get it we’ll certainly be doing that.”
On the pursuit of a target man, Simpson added: “That’s still the primary aim and then we’ll see whether anything else happens as well.”
United’s manager also said there was a possibility of young midfielder Kai Nugent heading out on loan.
“There’s a possibility with Kai that I can’t really say at the moment, but there’s a good chance he’s going to go out on loan,” said Simpson.
“There was also an enquiry to take Gabe [Breeze] on loan to a non-league club but they wanted him available for the FA Cup and I wasn’t prepared to do that. There’s nothing come of that one.
“We will continue to look to get Gabe out on loan because he needs to play some games.
“Once we get through this window…the chances are Gabe’s loan will be to a non-league club, so that can still happen, and we’ll just see what happens.”
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