By Jon Colman

Last updated 17:58, Tuesday, 06 January 2009

Greg Abbott today poured cold water on lingering speculation that he could make a dramatic bid to bring former Blues goal hero Karl Hawley back to Carlisle United.

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The first wave of January transfer rumours to sweep Brunton Park has linked Hawley – who quit United for Preston on a Bosman free transfer in 2007 – with a return to the club where he made his goalscoring name.

The idea of reuniting Hawley with Michael Bridges at Carlisle, three years after the pair shared 41 goals to fire Paul Simpson’s side to the League Two title, is an enticing one for many United supporters.

And Hawley’s current status on the fringes at North End has raised rumours that he could be on the move – with Carlisle a possible destination, given his history with the club and his friendship with several members of Abbott’s squad, which saw him attend a recent Blues reserve game.

But there seems little prospect of the 27-year-old sniper making a move back up the M6 in the current transfer window. Abbott is aware of the recent rumours and today moved to distance himself from a raid for Hawley.

“I will be straight forward with this – I have had no contact with Karl Hawley or his agent about that,” said the United manager.

“I like Karl, I think he has got a lot of time for me and I spoke to him when he was at our reserve game the other week. I just said hello, asked him if he was fit and how he was doing.

“There was no suggestion of bringing him back to the club and he has never been in touch with the club himself about that.

“He has got a terrific financial package at Preston which we would struggle to compete with. If he became available, and wanted to come back, he would come under consideration. That doesn’t mean we would definitely take him, by the way.

“But there has been no contact with Karl or his agent about the possibility of him coming back, and nothing from the club at all. I don’t know where these things come from.”

Hawley had an 11-game loan spell with United’s League One rivals Northampton earlier this season and another temporary move could be on the cards for the ex-Walsall striker if he remains out of favour at Deepdale, having managed just six appearances this term for the Lilywhites. He faces tough competition to force his way back into Alan Irvine’s Championship play-off chasers, with strikers of the calibre of Neil Mellor, John Parkin, Chris Brown and Stephen Elliott all bidding to lead the Preston line.

Abbott had previously indicated that he was looking to add to his attacking options, but today appeared to play down the likelihood of another striker joining the Blues this month.

The manager has Danny Graham, Michael Bridges, Scott Dobie and Gary Madine as his four striking options, with Danny Carlton likely to come back into the mix when his loan at Morecambe runs out next week. The Shrimps are now the subject of a transfer embargo which is likely to rule out a longer stay for Carlton at Christie Park.

“Everybody is making a lot of assumptions,” said Abbott. “All I am saying is that by the end of the month I want to have improved the squad.

“If that means players at the front end of the team, so be it. Maybe I will bring in a full-back, a centre half or midfield player instead. We have five strikers at the club if you count Danny Carlton so we are well blessed there.

“Everybody is saying we need to add to that. I’m not sure we do too much. We just have to make sure we get the right players to improve the squad.”