Craig Hignett provides transfer update ahead of Hartlepool's pre-season return

Craig Hignett has secured the services of striker Gime Toure at Hartlepool United as the hard work behind the scenes continues.
Craig Hignett.Craig Hignett.
Craig Hignett.

Earlier this week, the Pools boss admitted he was frustrated with a lack of progress in the transfer market, despite making four additions already.

Nicke Kabamba, Michael Raynes, Ben Killip and Luke Molyneux have all signed full-time deals at the Super 6 Stadium this summer, though the Hartlepool squad does not appear to be a significant improvement on the side that ended the 2018-19 season just yet.

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Kabamba, Raynes and Molyneux all spent time on loan at the club last term and Killip was brought in as a direct replacement for departing goalkeeper Scott Loach.

Although bringing Molyneux back was a real coup, the signings so far have been a case of necessity, opposed to dramatically bolstering the squad.

But given how Hignett’s side ended the last campaign, the Pools boss does not feel that is necessarily a bad thing.

“The spirit we had in our squad towards the end of last season is massive and that’s one of the reasons why I don’t want to add loads to it,” he revealed.

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“Everything was so good with the staff, with the squad and with the fans at the end of last season – it was brilliant, everything felt right and was on the up.”

Further additions to the Pools squad are still required.

A full-back and combative midfielder would be welcome arrivals to the side, and Hignett is hopeful he can achieve more breakthroughs as pre-season approaches and players grow keener to sort out their futures.

“We’re speaking with a lot of people and we’re getting to that time now where we’re approaching pre-season and players will start to panic and get itchy feet and start to make decisions,” he added.

“In the summer it’s often really hard to get a decision before pre-season because agents and players tend to weigh up their options and play clubs against one another.

“But I think we’re getting to that stage know where players need to start making their minds up and deciding what they’re going to do.”