Blackpool making progress on transfer front as Michael Appleton meets with two free agents

Despite getting back from QPR in the early hours of the morning after Tuesday night’s win at Loftus Road, there was no time to rest for Pool’s head coach.

With less than two weeks of the transfer window remaining, Appleton feels like the Seasiders are finally heading in the right direction as they search for their sixth summer signing.

“I think there has been some progress,” he said.

“You’d like to think after getting in at 3.30am in the early hours of Wednesday morning that you’d have a bit of a relax the following day and have a day off, but it wasn’t to be.

“Instead, I was meeting a couple of players so it’s all part of the process.

“They’re free agents, I’m not that daft (to meet with players contracted to other clubs).

“There are a lot of players out there who are still looking for a football club but the reality is we haven’t got a particularly big budget for the league we’re in, so we’ve got to work that little bit harder and show the willingness to bring them to the football club.

“If they’ve got the same type of willingness, then it’s something that could happen but I’m not daft, I know there are a lot of good players out there who are still available. But there will be a lot of clubs who are an attraction to them.”

In terms of outgoings, Appleton admits there are a “couple” of players who could depart between now and the end of the window.

Despite injuries to Charlie Patino and Lewis Fiorini, which has left the Seasiders short on numbers, Appleton doesn’t want to stand in the way of any player leaving for regular game time.

“There are a couple,” he said.

“Whether it happens next week or more the back end of the window, that remains to be seen.

“We won’t leave ourselves short in any way, shape or form, but I think the likelihood is there will be at least a couple leaving before the window shuts.”