CARLISLE United manager Paul Simpson is keen to bring in at least another two new faces after admitting his frustration in the transfer market this summer.

The Blues have been able to attract four new signings during the close season, with Owen Moxon, Tomas Holy, Sonny Hilton and Ryan Edmondson arriving at Brunton Park – and while Simpson is delighted with the players he’s brought to the club, he would have liked more.

He explained: “I know it’s not easy. We don’t have a bottomless pit of money to be able to go and do it, and that’s been part of the challenge over the summer in trying to get players in.”

“We aren’t competing with a lot of the other clubs at our level. We’re losing players to National League because of finance.

“This isn’t me complaining, don’t anybody think it is because I know what we’ve got to spend, and it’s our job to spend every single pound as if it’s our last one so that we get real value.

“I would have liked more players signed at this stage, but there’s no point me worrying about what we didn’t get or what we can’t have. The only thing I focus on is getting what we can get for us.

“We’ve thrown our hat into the ring for numerous players and we’ve had so many phone calls with players, with coaches, with managers, and chatting amongst the group of staff to try to select the right people.”

Carlisle’s first pre-season friendly takes place just under a week at Penrith before the squad travels to Scotland for a training camp, and Simpson would like some more business done before they head north of the border.

He said: “I’m really pleased with the four I’ve got so far, really pleased, because I think they improve the squad. I want some more, and I’ve said that by the time we go to Largs I would like to have at least two more in.

“I really do want a couple more, but if I don’t get it, there’s no point in me stamping my feet or spitting dummies out. You have to deal with it, which is what we will do.”