Carlisle United boss on budget and summer transfer plans

Carlisle United’s owner and chairman Tom Piatak this week stressed that the Blues would have all the resources they need to build a promotion-challenging side in League Two.

And Simpson says he is very happy with the funds he’ll have available – even if there will still be challenges in terms of recruiting players.

“More than satisfied, absolutely satisfied,” said Simpson of the finances at his disposal for the summer market.

“This is the first time that we will have a budget available that we'll be able to compete properly.

“The biggest challenge is actually spending it because in January we weren't able to spend everything that we had available, purely because players [weren’t willing] to move here.

“We made good offers…no, we made unbelievable offers, and players turned it down so that's still the challenge.

“But it gives us a hell of a chance to be able to bring them in and that's what we're going to try and do.”

Simpson last weekend said United’s budget would be in “mid-table” in terms of the fourth-tier’s financial pecking order.

But Piatak responded by saying the club’s football management and recruitment team would have everything they needed in order to make the team contenders to bounce back after relegation.

Tom Piatak, left, says United will have all the resources needed to build a team capable of challenging for promotion in League Two next season (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Manager Simpson says discussions are taking place regarding targets.

“We’re down to the point where we're speaking to players’ agents and making offers to them but we can't actually do anything officially until the window opens at the start of June so there's nothing that will happen before then, I don't think,” he said.

“But the whole situation's evolving because even in the last couple of days we're getting notifications from clubs that certain players are going to be available that we never thought were going to be available so the whole thing keeps changing.

“As much as we've got a database of, and some data rankings of, players throughout the leagues that we're looking at, there's players from other leagues who are coming available that we just need to make sure we get the homework done on them.”

Simpson admitted United would need to spend more than they have in the past in order to persuade players to come to Carlisle.

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But he also said the Blues would not be reckless with their spending – while he hopes the “vision” for the club under the Piataks would also prove appealing to targets.

“We'll certainly have to pay more than we've paid in the past, that is absolutely for sure,” Simpson said.

“We could only pay a certain amount in the past because that's all we had, but we have got more this year so we may have to do that.

“We can't sell our soul, though. We can't just go wasting money and throwing it around. That that then brings another problem with players who are still here, because you end up with a rift in the changing room.

“We’ve still got to try and get a bit of harmony in the changing room and work to a level, but those are the only two things [that can help us] – we can sell the vision and explain to them what we're trying to do, and also finances play a part.”

United’s manager, meanwhile, confirmed the club would announce its retained and released list on Monday. Nine players are out of contract this summer.