Paul Hartley hopeful of Hartlepool United transfer breakthrough ahead of pre-season camp in Portugal and Hibernian fixture

Pools jet off to the Algarve later this month as part of a warm weather training camp ahead of their pre-season schedule to prepare for the new League Two season which kicks off next month.

The trip to southern Portugal will not only provide an opportunity to work the players upon their return but will also provide an opportunity for Hartley and his assistant Gordon Young to get to know their new squad in a first class environment with state of the art facilities before they face Scottish Premiership side Hibernian in a friendly as part of the trip.

As it stands however, Hartley will have little to deal with in terms of his squad with Pools considerably short on numbers ahead of their return to duty.

But the new boss, who was officially unveiled at the Suit Direct Stadium this week, is confident that he will be able to welcome some new players to the club before they head to the Algarve.

“I think we’ll have players in the door for when we go to Portugal, no doubt about it,” Hartley told The Mail.

“I think we do need some players coming in the door. But we might not have the full squad ready in the next two or three weeks. We want to have that full squad ready for July 30.”

Hartley revealed he has a number in mind when it comes to the amount of players he would like to bring in over the summer but insists it is about the type of player he brings in, with the Scotsman keen to build more than just a team at the Suit Direct Stadium.

“We want to create a real culture at the club so there’ll be standards every single day at the club that we try to bring in,” said Hartley.

“We’re not just trying to build a team here, we’re trying to build a football club so there’s a lot of good work going on behind the scenes.

“We want to see a winning team on the pitch and that’s what supporters want to see. They want to turn up every week and see that their team has given it everything and are doing the right things.

“So it’s about the right type of player that we’ve got to bring in now and who fits into our culture and financially - do they fit into our football club?

“We can sit here and talk about budgets all day long but it’s how you use your budget.”

Hartley added: “[But] that’s the aim. We’ve been working with the head of recruitment over the last week.

“I went and saw the training camp with Stephen. It’s a brilliant facility we’ve got and will be a great environment for the players to get away and get used to us and for us to get to know them better.”