In Northampton, they are partying like it’s 2016. Or Keith Curle is. Carlisle’s old boss was rapid as a player and this summer he has been by far the quickest into the fourth-tier market.

In a splurge which will have United fans drawing similarities with what happened here three years ago, Curle has acted regularly and strikingly in order to rebuild his squad.

No other League Two club has got close to the eight signings Curle has reeled off at this stage. Just as he did in 2016 at Brunton Park, he has made Nicky Adams an early capture, and surrounded him with further experience.

Escaping financial disarray at promoted Bury, the winger remains one of the division’s most reliable suppliers. His arrival at last season’s 15th-placed finishers, plus the rest of the influx, will increase expectation on Curle to deliver that elusive first managerial promotion.

Adams has form for this, having helped the Cobblers up three years ago; in his latest quest he will be aided by some well-travelled colleagues; Chris Lines, Alan McCormack and Steve Arnold will all add know-how to the Northampton squad. Also in are Ryan Watson, Harry Smith, Matty Warburton and Joe Martin. These offset some significant departures such as Carlisle target Ash Taylor (to Aberdeen), John-Joe O’Toole and Daniel Powell, plus released players like David Buchanan and Sam Foley.

Curle, whose staff includes three other ex-Blues in Colin West, Dan Watson and Simon Tracey, has thanked his chairman, Kelvin Thomas, for sanctioning this summer’s moves, which come in spite of operating losses at Northampton of £2.2m for the year ending June 30, 2018.

“They [the board] are very much behind what we are trying to do, and backing the changing mentality in the dressing room,” the 55-year-old said.

With the best part of two months before 2019/20 begins, there is plenty of time for other squads to be reshaped. Carlisle supporters will certainly hope so in light of their current first-team numbers, which are just about enough to fill a starting XI.

The Blues have heaps of work to do, even though, with three summer signings (Jack Iredale, Christie Elliott, Jon Mellish) they have been among the busiest in terms of incomings. It might not feel that way, given the gaps to plug.

It has not, though, been a hectic time of trading elsewhere.

It may not come as a surprise that Football League new boys Salford have been among the more active. Backed by the Manchester United ‘Class of 92’ and Singapore billionaire Peter Lim, the Moor Lane club have added four signings to last season’s National League play-off winning squad.

Former Plymouth midfielder Oscar Threlkeld is one eye-catching arrival, along with Dan Jones, Joey Jones and Richie Towell. Manager Graham Alexander believes this quartet will augment a side ready to keep climbing. “We feel we’ve got real good players who can make the step up with us,” he said.

Salford have shed a few to make way for the new faces, striker Matt Green among them (he joined Grimsby today), while ex-United defender Danny Livesey has completed a permanent move to loan club Chester.

Another former Blues rearguard man – albeit one who only featured for their youth team – has also banked a League Two move. Ben Richards-Everton sealed a switch from third-tier Accrington to Bradford City, who ought to be one of League Two’s bigger fish if they can reverse their slump.

“I played against Bradford last season and the stature of the club was clear to see,” Richards-Everton said. Level-headed manager Gary Bowyer has also picked up Tyler French and Sam Hornby in his bid to change the tone at Valley Parade, which many Bantams fans put at the door of haphazard ex-chairman Edin Rahic.

At other clubs, there has been as much intrigue off the pitch. Port Vale have new owners, the disliked Norman Smurthwaite selling up to Carol and Kevin Shanahan. New signings Kieran Kennedy, Scott Burgess and Adam Crookes have joined up for the new era, Antony Kay part of the post-season exodus.

At Forest Green, meanwhile, there is as much attention on the progress of their proposed new wooden stadium through the planning stages as on transfers. Defender Matt Mills is the only playing addition to date.

Plymouth, relegated but early favourites to rebound, have been slow in recruiting, but may pick up the pace now they have finally appointed Bury’s Ryan Lowe as managerial successor to Derek Adams.

Cambridge have been busier, snapping up Kyle Knoyle, Luke Hannant and Harvey Knibbs, while Exeter have overseen some notable ins and outs: Nigel Atangana and United defender Tom Parkes coming in, but keeper Christy Pym and Hiram Boateng heading out.

Sol Campbell at Macclesfield has strengthened through Jak McCourt and Joe Ironside. Crewe have picked up Northampton’s Powell plus defender Olly Lancashire. Crawley – as Blues fans know too well – are the new destination for striker Ashley Nadesan, who is joined in his native Sussex by Mason Bloomfield on loan from Norwich.

Both Stevenage (Jason Cowley, Jamie Fielding) and Walsall (James Clarke, Stuart Sinclair) have acted twice, while the rest have either added one (Newport, Cheltenham, Scunthorpe, Oldham) or are waiting for their first (Colchester, Mansfield).

Swindon, who have signed Tyler Reid, will be one to watch, given they have been linked with three players with Carlisle connections (Jamie Devitt, Hallam Hope, Jerry Yates). Morecambe have been more active in renewing existing contracts; their only capture so far, Michael Howard, is not the former Conservative Party leader but a 19-year-old striker from Preston.

The remaining club of the 24, meanwhile, have more serious things on their plate. At Leyton Orient they are mourning manager Justin Edinburgh, who tragically died on Saturday aged 49. At the east London club it will presumably be a long time before the rumour and cheap chatter of the transfer market feels particularly important again.