Hartlepool United manager Dave Challinor explains why deadline day moves for Sunderland's Benji Kimpioka and Carlisle United's Gime Toure failed to materialise

Pools made a last ditch effort to sign Benji Kimpioka on loan from Sunderland in the final moments of the transfer window only for the move to fall through due to paperwork issues.

Challinor also confirmed Pools had made a move to try and bring Gime Toure back to Victoria Park. The Carlisle United forward wasn’t named in the squad to face Pools in the Papa John’s Trophy on Tuesday night with the club’s looking to come to an agreement.

Toure scored 13 goals in 40 appearances for Hartlepool during the 2019-20 campaign and has worked under Challinor twice previously.

But Kimpioka and Toure were just two of a huge pool of players Challinor was trying to make a move for.

“You can’t come closer really,” admitted the Hartlepool manager when asked how close the club came to securing a striker on deadline day.

“Things don’t happen sometimes and we lost out on different things over the course of the day. Players went to different clubs, clubs not agreeing to permanent deals, not answering phone calls as the day went on which was frustrated.

"It ended with paperwork not being submitted by specific clubs so we went right until the deadline and we were working right until 11pm and unfortunately things didn’t get over the line.

"That’s sometimes how it works and it’s a new experience for me as a manager and one that I hope doesn’t work out like that again. But I’m comfortable with where we’re at.

“Over the past eight weeks, I could name 50 centre-forwards who we’ve asked the question about who we’ve been close to signing at times and thought were going to happen but ultimately they haven’t.

There’s a list on my board as long as my arm which is frustrating. There are lots of players who have stayed with their clubs and will be reassessed in January so we’ll keep an eye on those situations.

"You just hope the players who have gone elsewhere don’t go and score 20 goals before Christmas and we’re like ahhh, if only!

“It is what it is and we’re certainly no worse off and we’re in a decent place in terms of scoring goals and creating chances so hopefully that continues.”

Pools will now turn to the free agent market in order to bolster their attacking line and are currently looking at a number of trialists with the view to potential deals.

“We’re still active if the right people are there for us,” Challinor told The Mail. “If that’s the case, we’ll continue to do business but if not I’m comfortable with where we’re at.

“We’ve still got trialists in, with free agents, they’re free agents for lots of different reasons. Some have missed pre-season through injury and are still looking for clubs and are still able to play at the level we’re playing at.

"If we assist in getting them up to speed then we’ll definitely look to do something.”

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