Carlisle United boss on plans for January transfer window

The winter window could be a key period for the Blues as they bid to progress in League One.

And while United have 11 league games between now and the turn of the year, manager Simpson says plenty of work is going on in anticipation of January.

He says early enquiries are being made about players with a host of potential targets being scrutinised.

Simpson said the Blues would prefer to move early in January.

“That’s what we’re hoping to do,” he said. “We’ve got to try.

“We’ve got our part-time scouts and Greg [Abbott, head of recruitment] going out to games, and we’re all watching clips of players that are coming forward.

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“I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, because it certainly won’t be.”

There is the potential for an improved budget for Simpson should the Piataks’ takeover go through in time.

United’s boss hopes that will equip him to go further in the market but warned it would not solve all their issues at a stroke.

“January’s never an easy window to work in, and although we’re going to get an increase in budget if the takeover happens, we ain’t suddenly going to have a Portsmouth, an Oxford United, a Derby County budget,” he said.

“We’re going to get an improved Carlisle United budget, which hopefully should help us, but we’ll just wait and see.”

Jayden Harris (Image: Richard Parkes)

Simpson, meanwhile, said he was not about to bring any players in despite loaning out midfielder Jayden Harris this week.

The Blues boss has played down the prospect of a free agent signing even though his midfield numbers are now lighter with Harris joining Eastleigh until mid-January.

“No, there isn’t anybody [coming in],” Simpson said.

“To be honest, that was my dilemma about letting Jayden go.

“The perception from the supporters [might have been] I don’t know what I’m doing, but when I weighed it all up I decided it was in everybody’s interests – ours, and Jayden’s, to allow him to go, because he was getting frustrated that he wasn’t playing.

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“I was getting frustrated because his level of performance wasn’t worthy of playing – that’s not me being harsh, it’s me being really honest.

“I decided it would benefit us both if he went out.

“Hopefully he’ll go and have a good few months of playing and we can see where he’s at and reassess it in January.

“Yes, I have left myself a bit short but that was something I was prepared to do. I just felt in terms of League One games, I would have played other people before Jayden as I stand at the moment.”