Carlisle United manager Paul Simpson has outlined his January plans in an interview with the News & Star and also hinted that the club already have a signing lined up.
The Cumbrians have struggled adjusting to life in the third tier following their promotion via the play-offs last season and currently sit in 22nd in the League One table. However there is plenty of positivity surrounding the club at the minute.
That positivity is largely down to the club’s new owners, the Piatak Family, hailing from Jacksonville, Florida. There is a real buzz around the club currently that has not been seen, or heard, for a number of years and although performances on the pitch may not be at their best, everything off the pitch is running smoothly.
Fortunately, the Piatak family acquiring the club will greatly benefit the Blues come the January transfer window, with Paul Simpson having a larger pool of money than ever before.
It seems most likely that a striker will be the number one priority for Carlisle come January and that is a position which is in obvious need of improvement given that they have scored just 15 times in 19 League One games this season.
Although the table may not look pretty currently, there is still plenty of football to be played, and the January transfer window will be pivotal for Carlisle’s season.
Simpson has already outlined his plans and has stated in his interview with the News & Star that they have all but confirmed the first of their January moves.
“One of them is basically agreed, we’re just trying to work out the best way forward with that one.
“And then we’re in discussions over a few others as well.
“I really want them in to be available for Exeter.
“I can’t promise anything because it just doesn’t work that straightforwardly – I wish it did, but we’re doing everything we possibly can to try and get players in to hit the ground running in January for us.”
Simpson highlighted one particular striker, Jonathan Afolabi of Bohemians as a player that he is interested in.
“He’s a player who we’ve watched, he’s a player who we certainly like, but whether we can afford him is a different matter.
“We’re just going to wait and see what happens. We’ve certainly had discussions around him, and discussions are still ongoing, but there’s nothing that I can tell you about it because at this moment in time we can’t afford him.”
It seems unlikely that Afolabi is the player in question, with Carlisle looking to improve in all aspects across the pitch, something that Simpson also put forward.
“We’ve probably got, I think, seven or eight in terms of that position [striker], six or seven in terms of midfielders, quite a number of goalkeepers, centre-backs…there’s lots of players we’re looking at, because we need to strengthen the group. It’s as simple as that. The league table tells you that.
Writer’s View
It seems as if there will be quiet the overhaul at Brunton Park come January and it is something which is very much needed given their current status. Improvements across the pitch are needed and with the increased transfer fund, those changes are very likely to come to fruition.
As for Afolabi, it seems somewhat unlikely that he will arrive at Brunton Park given his price tag, but he’d be a huge impact if he were to make a move. That being said, Simpson needs to be smart across all parts of the pitch during the transfer window and may want to save funds for other positions.
Senior Editor
