Carlisle United boss Paul Simpson on Owen Moxon talks

The Carlisle United midfielder is yet to agree new terms with the Blues following summer transfer speculation.

Simpson says United have made the Denton Holme favourite a lucrative offer.

In the meantime, the Blues boss feels Moxon can raise his game in League One.

Asked if there had been any progress in discussions, Simpson said: “No – I had a conversation with him last week, before the Lincoln game, to say that he needs to have a serious think about it.

“We can’t do any more. We’ve put a really good offer on the table to him. It’s just about him making that decision.

“When I spoke to him he wasn’t ready to sign the contract. I will keep speaking to him because I want him to stay and to show the level of performance we saw last season.

“I think it’s fair to say we’re not seeing that at the moment, so if we can help him by letting him get settled again, then we’ll wait and see.”

Simpson, meanwhile, hopes that the prospect of United developing and growing will prove attractive to players – whether those currently on the books or future signings.

The Blues are close to being taken over by the Piatak family from Florida, who will set out their plans to supporters’ trust members this weekend.

Simpson has reiterated his ambition for Carlisle to keep growing and fulfil the club’s potential.

“That’s what I’m trying to say. We have ambitions to be stronger and better as a football club. We want to have an upgrade on all our facilities,” he said.

• Piataks at Brunton Park ahead of key weekend in takeover

“You go and look at what the Community Sports Trust have done with the opening of those new classrooms [at the former Newman School] – that puts us to shame a little bit. That’s what we should be aspiring to.

“That’s what I want. That’s my end goal for this place.

“When I came back [in February 2022] I talked about wanting it to be better. I think a training facility is massively important and to get to that level.

Paul Simpson (Image: Barbara Abbott)

“I was fortunate when I was at the FA to go and look at Carrington at Man Utd, I’ve been at the Etihad Campus, I’ve been to Tottenham’s training ground, Chelsea’s…we’re not aspiring to have what they’ve got but I think we have to have a plan in place that phase one’s going to be a first-team training ground and a place where I can bring a new signing and go, ‘Here you go, this is your working environment’.

“Then we want somewhere that can be bigger, where the academy can be joined on and not have to go to Creighton and the academy staff’s first job is picking up dog dirt off the pitch.

“Then we want another facility where we don’t have to use Dalston, Frenchfields, and we can have our younger academy teams…we’ve got to aspire to be better.

“That’s where we’re going to need help.”

Simpson said such help could come from different sources.

“I’m sitting here [in the dugout at Brunton Park] looking at a new Cumberland Council sign on the [Andrew Jenkins] Stand – can the council get involved and come and help us like they did at Accrington Stanley?

“Can other people get involved and give us a bit of a leg up? It may be that we need help that we’ve already got around us, or it may need a takeover.

“If that’s what happens, brilliant, because I want this football club to be better. I don’t know how long I’ll be wanted here but if I can leave it in a better state than when I came in I’ll certainly go away satisfied.”

Simpson said he was delighted at the way local firms had backed the Blues with sponsorship on their climb from the bottom end of League Two to the third tier.

“But we have to keep moving on,” he added. “I don’t want to just sit and be outside the relegation places in League One.

“I want this football club to be better. I think it can be. I think with a little bit of tweaking and an upgrade on things, I think this can be a good football club to be part of.

“We know we’re always going to have the challenge of our location, but I think once we get people up here they can see it’s a lovely place to be. With our fanbase it’s a great place to play football when they’re all backing us, and we’ve got to make sure we keep striving to keep improving on everything.”