Carlisle United manager Paul Simpson has stated that the club will not spend excessive money in the January transfer window.
The Cumbrians have been one of the busiest clubs in League One this window, with four signings ; Luke Armstrong, Harrison Neal Sean Grehan and Harry Lewis all already arriving at Brunton Park this January.
In Armstrong’s case, the fee in which the club paid League Two outfit Harrogate Town is expected to be a club record fee. The striker has made a good start to his time in Cumbria, and opened his account in the club’s 2-1 defeat against Barnsley on Tuesday night.
Having been taken over by the Piatak family in November, Carlisle now have a higher budget than ever before and relatively big money has already been flaunted to bring the likes of Armstrong and Lewis to the club.
Simpson is however mindful that the club shouldn’t be paying excessive fees for players, and still has a long-term plan in place for the future of the club. With the Blues currently sat in 23rd and seven points off of safety, the January window needs to bring serious improvements for the club to aid their fight for survival.
Earlier in the week, Simpson was involved in some controversy surrounding Bradford City player Jake Young, who the club were supposedly interested in. The Blues’ manager labelled the asking price set by the Bantams as “ridiculous”, leading to Bradford manager Graham Alexander then firing some rather blunt thoughts back.
Although the Cumbrians may have been priced out of a move for Young, they look likely to add another forward to the ranks after Ryan Edmondson’s contract was mutually terminated earlier in the week.
Speaking to the News & Star, Simpson outlined his plans for the rest of the January window.
“I’m not going to bust this club and spend money that’s excessive. There are so many things we want to do here, and we have to be mindful of that.
“We’ve got to make sure we’re not in a position like Wigan Athletic have been in, like Reading are, like Derby County were a few years ago, and other clubs who’ve been in financial problems.
“This is a big window that, I’ve got to be honest, is really, really difficult.
“The good thing is and the thankful thing is we’re in a position where we ave got finances available if the right players are available to us and if we believe it’s the right business.”
Writer’s View
Now seven points from safety, there is less and less time for Simpson and Carlisle to turn things around. Although performances may have improved in recent weeks, they are still struggling to get points on the board. With four wins all season, it’s no surprise to see them where they are.
They do however seem to be in the right hands both in regards to management and ownership. Although it may be an uphill battle to stay in the third tier this season, it’s fairly obvious that Simpson is trying to build for the future of the club. Overspending this January could severely hamper future plans, something that by the looks of it, Simpson wants to avoid.
Senior Editor
