Hartlepool United transfer latest as Paul Hartley provides update on possible exits

Pools have seen plenty of activity at the Suit Direct Stadium this summer as Hartley has had to rebuild the squad upon his arrival.

Ahead of Thursday’s 11pm deadline, just seven players remain with Pools who helped ensure their League Two status last season and Hartley expects that to remain the same by the close of play.

“No there won’t be [any outgoings] unless people come in and players want to go,” Hartley told The Mail.

“We have no intention of letting anybody go. We’re really looking to strengthen to make us as strong as we can.”

Hartley has admitted it has been a challenging inaugural period to his time at the club, on and off the field, and that he will be pleased when the window closes on Thursday.

“Yeah, I’ll be happy to see it shut and hopefully we’ll come out of it stronger with a lot of quality in the group,” said Hartley.

“It’s been a difficult, tough, window. We’ve had seven or eight weeks to try and get some reinforcements.

“It’s a total rebuild of this club what we’ve had to do, not just in the football department, but behind the scenes.

“But the football department is the one that counts for everybody.”

And the Pools boss has also acknowledged the difficulty of dealing with the number of games Pools have faced while having to remain focused on the transfer market and any possible deals available to them.

But with the window set to close, Hartley is looking forward to being judged on the squad he has shaped over the coming months.

“We’ve had a lot of players coming in and there’s been a lot going out. So it’s been really distracting,” said Hartley.

“You want to just try and work with the group that you’ve got and that’s you until January at least. It means you can really focus on how your team is and there’s nobody coming in or nobody going back out.

“We’ve changed a lot of things at the club since we’ve come in and hopefully when the window shuts then it’s my team and let me be judged on that.”