Paul Simpson reveals Carlisle United transfer plans after MK Dons news | OneFootball

The Blues have clearly identified the areas that they need to still target.

Highlights

Paul Simpson has revealed Carlisle United's plans for the rest of the summer transfer window after the club confirmed their fifth signing of the summer.

It's been a very busy Wednesday down at Brunton Park. The morning started with next season's fixtures being announced. Carlisle will travel to Gillingham on the opening day of the 2024/25 campaign, and will then face rivals Barrow in their first home match of the League Two season.

This news was swiftly followed by the revealing of the Blues' new kits.

Inspired by those worn by the 1974/75 team, United have attempted to recreate the success of last season's home strip by capturing the essence of one from the past and remaking it in a modern way. As always, there are some mixed feelings about how well they pulled it off this time.

The away design is almost as wacky as last season's fruit salad kit.

Clubs often try to combine these big marketing opportunities with more good news, often in the form of a new signing. That's exactly what Carlisle did, pairing the new home top with new arrival Ethan Robson, who arrives from MK Dons as a free agent, and has signed a two-year deal with the Cumbrians.

Simpson had hinted that a midfield arrival was on the cards in the morning, but he also took the chance to expand upon the other work that he and his team are doing in the transfer market.

Paul Simpson reveals Carlisle United's transfer plans

The Blues' boss has hinted at one of the positions that he still needs to address, as well as action they have attempted to take to bolster their frontline.

He said, via the News & Star: "I've still got one area in the defence that I want to fill. I know when you look at the squad numbers, you can probably work out what that is."

United's squad numbers announcement showed the numbers two and seven to still be vacant. The latter has been filled by Robson.

Logic would suggest that the former would be filled by a right-back of some sort - the only area of the defence that hasn't seen a fresh face be added to it.

"Then it's the forward areas, which historically is always the hardest to fill," continued Simpson. "We really are trying. We've spoken to lots of players and some bloody good ones as well.

"Nobody wants to know about who you can't get and who you've missed out on, but we're keeping trying.

"We’re going to try because I think it's an area that needs strengthening - definitely needs strengthening before we go into the season. So those are the only areas that we're going for."

Carlisle's clear recruitment plan is nice to see

Of all the factors that led to the Blues' eventual, and some would argue inevitable, downfall in League One last time out, the summer recruitment would probably be up there in terms of things to blame.

A lack of money and time certainly didn't help Simpson and the staff tasked with finding players to fill the squad with, but their placing in the 23/24 third tier table was definitely representative of the players that they had in the team.

Now those reasons for last summer going so poorly are not a worry anymore. They have plenty of money and they knew their destiny long before the season was over.

Of course, it fully remains to be seen whether the players that they have brought in are going to get them to where they want to be. The signs that suggest that they are do exist though, and it's good to see them being efficient and effective in the transfer market.