Hartlepool United boss Graeme Lee had this to say about whether Pools will be in the market for loans or permanent deals in the January transfer window as Stoke City defender returns for talks

The Pools boss continues to search for a breakthrough in the transfer market having lost two of his loan players, strikers Will Goodwin and Tyler Burey, after they returned to their parent clubs at the beginning of the week.

And Lee may also be facing the prospect of losing another of his loan players as defender Eddy Jones returns to his parent club Stoke City today for talks regarding his future in the North East.

“I’ve spoke to Stoke. I think it’s more in Stoke’s hands in the fact that he hasn’t played as many games as they’d probably have liked in the last few months,” Lee told The Mail.

“We want to keep him on for what he offers. I’ve said it before, with Eddy it’s one of them where he could get in the team and stay in the team.”

The Potters are keen for Jones to earn more game time and after an impressive display at right back in Pools’ Papa John’s Trophy success over Bolton Wanderers in midweek the Welshman’s stock may have risen for potential suitors in the second half of the season.

And while Lee admitted he is keen to keep hold of Jones on-loan for the remainder of the season he believes permanent transfers this month will help to build the foundations of his squad moving forward.

“It’ll be a combination of both [loans and permanent deals].

“Ideally you want some permanents so we can get a foundation of what we want to bring in but we’re looking everywhere and anywhere at the moment,” explained Lee.

“We’ve got targets we’re speaking to who we’re trying to bring in.

“We’re not rushing in the sense of just bringing somebody in for the sake of bringing somebody in but we are in talks all the time.

“We want to bring people in as soon as we can in January but I think every single club in the country wants to do the same thing.

“We’re progressing with talks at the moment and hopefully we can get a few in and done as soon as possible.”

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