Carlisle United boss Paul Simpson has hinted that he might need up to double figures in new faces to tackle League One next season.
Talking to the official United website Simpson said: “There are a number of positions I want to bring in. I can’t put a number on it but we’re probably close to double figures in terms of new faces that have got to come into the place.”
That figure was based on nine players being released and waiting for decisions from players who have been offered new deals.
Taylor Charters, top scorer Kris Dennis, Morgan Feeney and Omari Patrick, who scored the vital late equaliser at Wembley have been offered new terms and have seven days to make a decision.
Simpson explained: “Our season was extended, obviously, and there’s nothing in the rules that say I couldn’t have given them 24 hours, but we’ve given them seven days, and I think we’re being fair.
“What I don’t like, and I know it happens, is that they get their offer X from us and they go and see if they can get XX or XXX from somewhere else, and they use our figure to tout around.
“I know that’s the nature of the game, that’s how it happens, but they have the seven days and if the answer is no we’ll move on.
“We have to do that, we can’t stand still as a football club, we have to keep trying to take ourselves forward. We now have to see what happens over the course of the next week with that.
“As I’ve said to all four of them, I haven’t made an offer just for the sake of it, I’ve made it because I think they can play a part for us. I will be disappointed if they say no, but the truth is we can’t do anything about it.
“I don’t believe you can control everything, we can only control what we’re able to do. It will come down to finance, that’s the top and bottom of it. Everybody knows that as a football club we haven’t got bundles of cash.
“We do not have the finances that other clubs might have. If these players get a better offer, and we can’t compete with it, then we’ll have to just shake their hands and wish them well. There’s no point bleating about things you can’t affect.”
