Greg Abbott: Carlisle United's form has impressed Premier League club

The Blues’ head of recruitment says he has spoken to officials at a top-flight side who are impressed with how Carlisle are going about things.

He said that can stand United in good stead in the market – while he also highlighted how Carlisle’s brilliant recent support from fans can also help attract targets.

“We’ve got the momentum of the fans at the moment supporting the club – I couldn’t get my head round 1,300+ going to Salford,” Abbott said.

“I was there the week before and I don’t think there was that many there for the whole of their game against Wimbledon.

READ MORE: Abbott on Carlisle United's January window plans

“When you see that as a player, I think you travel for that.

“The success of the team at the moment, and with the support and momentum the fans are giving and creating, it makes it easier.

“I’ve had a team today from the Premier League saying, ‘Because of the way you’re going in the league, it’s actually a club we think would be a good loan for our players’.

Carlisle fans at Salford (Image: Richard Parkes)

“Everything we’re doing now is helping attract people.”

United are currently weighing up their options ahead of the January transfer window.

Abbott has said the Blues have drawn up lists of targets should Paul Simpson want to bolster his squad in certain areas.

He also said club directors have encouraged them to “give them a problem” if a more expensive player becomes available and who could make a significant difference to Carlisle’s chances.

Abbott, meanwhile, says that, ahead of January, he has spoken to all the clubs who have loaned United players this season.

Carlisle have five loan players on their books – Nottingham Forests’s Fin Back, Stockport County’s Ben Barclay, Bristol City’s Duncan Idehen, Fulham’s Sonny Hilton and Derby County’s Jack Stretton – with all but Idehen on season-long loan deals.

Simpson has spoken of his hope that Derby will not recall Stretton in January.

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On the loan players as a whole, Abbott added: “Paul’s spoken to some of the clubs, I’ve spoken to all of them, and it’s a case of letting the clubs know exactly where we think those players are at the moment.

“You can’t tell fibs to everybody. They can tell from the performances of players and the results are getting whether some are doing well, some are not getting enough, some are improving, developing…

“The decision on whether they stay or go back is purely and simply down to parent clubs.

“That’s the downside of the loan system. If we can ever sign permanent players we would, so they are our players to develop and progress the club and individually.

“You are always open to having an outstanding loan. We’ve been hit with this before – had fantastic young players on loan and somebody else takes them. We’re powerless to prevent that.

“All we can do is say if they are developing, and they aren’t going to go back to their parent clubs and play, or go to another club considered better than us and play, they are better left off where they are.

“All the loan lads have really enjoyed themselves. They’ve liked being here. That’s a massive positive anyway.

“The next sell we get for a loan player, they can ask clubs or players, ‘How did you find it?’ To a man I think they’d all say they’ve been treated properly, and had a fair amount of pitch time and opportunities to get into the team.”