Hartlepool United could face transfer struggle to pry 'priceless' Newport County midfielder away

Hartlepool are keen to strengthen their squad this month as they look to secure their Football League status this season with Dolan one player Keith Curle is understood to have his eye on.

Dolan has spent a couple of loan spells at the Suit Direct Stadium earlier in his career, first from Middlesbrough, where he progressed through the ranks, and then from Bradford City after his Riverside exit.

But it is in South Wales with Newport where the 29-year-old has made his mark. Since joining in 2017, Dolan has made well over 200 appearances for the Rodney Parade club, including coming off the bench to help spark a comeback in the recent draw with Crawley.

Coughlan brought on his captain with around 15 minutes to go and he would reward him with his first goal of the season as Newport rescued a point.

Dolan has found it challenging this season having been in and out of the Exiles’ side.

The midfielder was missing from the squad for the goalless draw with Leyton Orient and has not started a league fixture since October’s defeat at Crawley.

And that may be one reason why Curle has considered a Hartlepool return for Dolan this month.

The Pools boss suggested there had been a delay on a potential new signing, however, after the player in question was recalled to the match day squad for his parent club - something which could point towards Dolan or another former Hartlepool midfielder in Brad Walker after he was on the bench for Port Vale against Forest Green Rovers.

“The deal was agreed with the agent, with the player, with the football club. But one of their players got injured on Thursday and they’ve said we need to hold fire for a couple of days just until they can assess the injury,” Curle told The Mail following Hartlepool's 3-3 draw with Harrogate Town.

“Clubs aren’t going to do us any favours. They aren’t going to let him come to us and leave themselves short. So we have to be respectful of that.”

And Curle may now find it difficult to secure the services of Dolan after Exiles boss Coughlan lauded his skipper following his impact from the bench.

“Matty is different class,” Coughlan told South Wales Argus.

“He’s a proper leader, a proper man and he’s my type of guy. I can't speak highly enough of him.

“He has had to be patient in the team, he’s been in and out over the last 12 months. But Matty for me, he’s priceless, he’s a real figurehead at this football club. He loves the club as well and he’s a pleasure to have around the place.

“It’s strange how football happens, he wasn’t available to us against Leyton Orient because he wasn’t well but he came back and fought his way back in.”