Carlisle United boss on Owen Moxon talks and transfer hunt

The Blues are still hoping to secure their star midfielder on a longer deal.

An improved contract offer has been on the table for some time now but things have not progressed.

Manager Simpson, though, remains hopeful that Moxon will commit to his home-city club for the long term.

“There’s been discussions, but there’s nothing changed on it,” Simpson said.

“We talk all the time. I keep badgering the life out of him, because we all want him to stay for as long as we possibly can.

“He’s in a position where he has a year left on his contract and he knows what could happen if he goes on a free transfer next season.

• Simmo: Investment talks at Carlisle United seem to be with 'the right people'

“I’m not thinking that far ahead. I want him to stay, to carry on playing.

“We’re trying to reward him with a better contract for what he’s done so far and to keep him here.

“Whether anything changes we’ve just got to wait and see. Hopefully he just stays focused on his football and we can come up with some compromise further down the line.”

Paul Simpson remains keen to secure Owen Moxon's long-term future (Image: Ben Holmes)

Moxon, who has scored both United’s goals so far this season against Fleetwood Town and Wigan Athletic, was recently the subject of a failed bid from Blackpool.

Carlisle issued a statement saying the Denton Holme favourite was not for sale, and they hoped he would remain beyond this season.

While that situation continues, Simpson remains eager to add to his squad but has conceded United may have to wait until the final stages of the transfer window.

“We’re still doing a lot of digging around in the background and trying to get things done,” said the Blues boss.

“I don’t expect anything to happen before the weekend but I assure people we are trying to get the right players in.

“I don’t just want bodies to come in who are not going to be effective or improve us. We’ll keep working.

• Carlisle United boss gives injury update on midfield duo

“We’ve missed out on quite a few already for all sorts of different reasons but we’ll keep going and trying to get the right people in who will help us.”

The loan market appears United’s likeliest route before the transfer deadline, while free agents are not on Simpson’s agenda.

“There’s nothing in the free agent market,” he said. “If you’ve got forward players with any chance of being effective, it’s really difficult. They’re not available, simple as that.

“The list of players we had at the start of pre-season who we were led to believe weren’t going to be involved at Premier League and Championship level…they have been, either started some games or been on the bench.

“We’re just having to be patient. It may still change over the next few weeks but at the moment the lads who we think could come and improve us are either involved or very close to being involved for their first teams.

“We’ve got lots of names in terms of targets. Unfortunately over the last six or seven weeks that list is getting shorter and shorter, but there are still names on it that we hope we might be able to do something with.

“I don’t like it going right up to the last minute but if we have to do that, that’s what we have to do.

“We are still in a position where we have finances available to bring players in, we have ideas of what we want to do and we’re going to keep working.

“If we haven’t got them all in before that last day and we go to the deadline, it might have to be some packed lunches brought in and we’re sitting until we get them over the line…”

Simpson, meanwhile, added that United have fielded no calls about their own players, while he remains open to the prospect of some of the club’s younger players leaving on loan.

Gabe Breeze and Kai Nugent are among those who could be considered for temporary moves, with Max Kilsby having already gone out to Annan Athletic.