Dave Challinor gives Hartlepool United goalkeeper update after target Trevor Carson joins Dundee United from Motherwell

The 33-year-old goalkeeper made 63 appearances for Pools between 2015 and 2017 before moving north of the border to join Motherwell.

Hartlepool manager Dave Challinor has since confirmed the club’s interest in bringing Carson back to Victoria Park but the Northern Ireland international opted to remain in Scotland.

"We’ve had dialogue with Trevor around his situation but nothing happened,” Challinor told The Mail. “I’m sure he’d have loved to be back in the north east, it’s something he and his family were looking to do I think.

"But if the offers he has in Scotland outweigh being able to come back here then we can’t do anything.”

On Thursday, Carson agreed a two year deal at Tannadice Park.

"It’s no secret there was talk of me moving back down to England for family reasons,” Carson told the Dundee United club website.

“I spoke to a couple of clubs but once Dundee United came in for me, I spoke to the manager, it was a no brainer to come here.”

Pools are close to extending Ben Killip’s stay at Victoria Park and will be looking to bring in at least one more goalkeeper along with a new goalkeeping coach before the start of the League Two season.

Former goalkeeping coach Ross Turnbull departed for Chelsea following Pools’ promotion and 19-year-old goalkeeper Brad Young has recently joined Leicester City.

“Hopefully Ben will sign his contract this week,” Challinor added. “We’ll then look to bring in another goalkeeper and potentially a third one but that’s dependent on us getting a goalkeeping coach which we’re obviously looking to try and get in and get his say on that.

"We obviously had loan goalkeepers last year and now that we’ve sold one, we’ve had a lot of players put to us without them reading too much into our situation really.”

Despite the recent set-back of losing Rhys Oates and a number of transfer targets, Challinor remains confident in assembling a competitive squad in time for the start of the League Two season on August 7.

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