Hartlepool United chairman Raj Singh discusses transfers of Nicke Kabamba and Peter Kioso and makes shock admission regarding player wages

Hartlepool United owner Raj Singh (Credit: Jon Hobley | MI News)

Nicke Kabamba and Peter Kioso have recently left the club to join Kilmarnock and Luton Town respectively, leaving Hartlepool in need for some reinforcements.

Last week, they brought in Macauley Southam-Hales and Timi Odusina on loan though their business isn’t complete just yet.

“It’s a busy time for football clubs in the transfer market and I know that Dave and his staff have been extremely busy attending lots of games and watching players,” Singh said.

“We have put together a game plan over which players we were going to aim for, which we would be looking to retain and which would be potentially leaving the club.

“Nicke Kabamba and Peter Kioso have both left the club and it’s been mentioned that both of their contracts were due to expire at the end of the current season.

“I have read in certain quarters questions being asked about why we have let the contracts of players run down in this way but the fact is that, at this level, you can’t have players on three and four year contracts because of the finances involved.”

While Pools offered Kioso a new deal at the club amid the EFL interest, Singh revealed that high-paying, long-term deals have proven problematic for him in the past.

“One of the biggest hurdles we had to overcome when we first took over at the club and found players, some of which weren’t even in the team at the time, on two year deals with salaries of £1,000 plus per week,” he admitted in his programme column.

“It’s always a balancing act but both Nicke and Peter have done really well for the club over the time they have been here, especially Peter.

“It became obvious very quickly that he was capable of playing at a higher level.

“We made Peter and offer to stay at the club but understandably, his agent made it clear he would not be signing a new contract this summer because there was interest from clubs in the EFL.

“That is something I fully understand.”