Keith Curle insists he still has money to spend before the new season at Carlisle United - but must be "selective" with how he uses it.

The Blues manager wants to add more faces to a small squad with the new campaign just over two weeks away.

It appears that a limited remaining budget means there will not be an influx of further signings ahead of the August 5 kick-off against Swindon.

Curle, though, says his top priority now is to add a big centre-forward to his ranks, with only Shaun Miller and Hallam Hope as senior centre-forwards.

"I've got a certain amount of money available and I've got to be selective on who and where I spend that money on," Curle said.

"At the minute I've got to prioritise the players I'm going to bring in.

"My main priority at the minute is that I need a physical target-man centre-forward that's got a presence we can build off."

Curle has looked at two striker trialists so far this summer, one of whom was with the squad earlier this week at the Cassius Camps training centre near Windermere.

The Blues were also rebuffed with a bid for Barrow's Richie Bennett earlier in pre-season.

Curle has not ruled out a deal for the Holker Street player being revived but United's chances of signing the 26-year-old appeared to fade with their initial offer believed to be significantly short of Barrow's valuation.

"We made an offer as a football club that saw a downpayment and, geared with success and incentives for the player, that amount could have been achieved," Curle said.

"We're trying to be creative. Likewise, Barrow are well within their rights to say no.

"We've been in this situation ourselves. Would we have accepted a penny less for Charlie Wyke? No, we wouldn't.

"We need to be creative, but we have got other options as well. Richie was identified as a potential target, but we won't put all our eggs in one basket."

United's last friendly at Blyth saw five trialists involved and Curle suggested not all of them will still be with the squad for their next outing at Halifax this Saturday.

"We don't want to waste players' times," he said. "Some of the players I've made a decision on already and they've been told.

"Others, because we're not in a position to offer a contract straight away, feel duty-bound to consider other options."

United have so far made four summer signings in Jack Bonham, Hallam Hope, Kelvin Etuhu and Tom Parkes.

The Blues' spending power and finances are back under scrutiny after Tuesday's revelation that HM Revenue and Customs had served the club with a winding-up petition in early June.

United insisted they were "surprised" and unaware of any legal action or court hearing, and with the case eventually dismissed without club officials attending court.