Transfer window: Carlisle United boss on social media & Jack Stretton

The Blues boss has also moved to shoot down “ridiculous” speculation concerning possible departures for some of his key players in the January transfer window.

Simpson said it had been frustrating to find that talk about possible Blues targets had been aired in the public domain and duly alerting rival clubs.

He said: “With the players we’re signing, it’s been a bit of a pain because we’ve had some things come out this week about players that we’re signing, and I know other clubs have jumped on board because of them finding out about it when we’re trying to keep it quiet.

“That does give us a problem. We can’t compete financially with a lot of clubs in our league – we’re probably bottom six or seven in terms of our budget.

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“We can’t compete financially with a lot of teams in our league. We try to go under the radar and get things in early. When things come out on social media it does scupper things a little bit.”

John Kymani-Gordon joined the Blues today (Image: Amy Nixon / CUFC)

Simpson also said some chat online about possible departures had been wide of the mark.

“I keep being told about these ridiculous rumours about players who are leaving here, and big transfer fees,” he said.

“It’s only going to happen if I get a phonecall and I haven’t received a phonecall as of yet. I hope that stays the way.

“I really don’t want to be getting rid of players, I’d like to keep them.”

Simpson has so far brought in three new players in loan signings Jack Robinson, Alfie McCalmont and John-Kymani Gordon, with a fourth possible addition in United’s sights.

They have helped to offset some previous departures of loan players from the squad, with Duncan Idehen returning to Bristol City, Sonny Hilton going back to Fulham and Jack Stretton being sold by Derby County to Stockport County.

Simpson admitted that United had ultimately been priced out of a permanent move for Stretton by Stockport’s financial clout in terms of wages.

“We couldn’t compete with them,” he said.

Jack Stretton, right, joined Stockport County last week (Image: Ben Holmes)

“It all happened quickly. I got the phonecall from the finance director at Derby to say they’d accepted an offer from a League Two club and they’d given him permission to speak to them.

“I said, ‘Would you mind telling me what the offer is and can we match it?’

“I was on the understanding we could match that, but once you sit down and talk about the finances of what the contract would be, for us to match what Stockport were paying would have pushed him way above our highest earner at the club.

“I didn’t feel as though that was the right thing to do.

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“We could have made a counter offer to match it and I know for a fact they would have just gone and blown us out of the water, because that’s the level of finances they’ve got – they’re at a different level to us, we have to accept that and I did.

“I wished Jack all the best. I said, ‘It’s a fantastic opportunity, you’re going to a club who really do want to try and push on, who’ve got more financial backing than we have…I just hope you have a shocker when you play us in a few weeks’ time.”

Simpson added: “We’ve brought three additions in who I think will be good additions, and I’d like to bring another.

“The only players who will leave are if I think it’s the right thing for us as a club and also it does them a favour for the rest of their career.”