Hartlepool United will not sign a player just for the sake of it says Ronnie Moore

The Pools boss is frustrated not to have made any further headway following the deals to sign winger Nathan Thomas, from Mansfield, and arrange a loan with Bristol Rovers for striker Ellis Harrison.

Moore is understood to have had an offer for Oldham forward Rhys Murphy rejected and he says that “three bids” have been rejected elsewhere.

A deal to bring Luke James back to Victoria Park on a half-season loan deal looks to have stalled – for now anyway.

The striker is still at Bradford City and may be required this weekend by the Bantams who have injuries to a couple of forwards.

Moore would not talk about the Peterborough striker, but explained that if Pools could not make any permanent signings he would be happy to utilise the loan market.

“We’ve been trying to get a striker in, no doubt about that,” he said. “We have bids in for three players but, disappointingly for us, they’ve been turned down.

“A couple want to be down south instead of coming to the north, so that’s disappointing.

“We’re trying – it’s not like the chairman isn’t doing anything about it.

“We’ve been all over the place looking – me, Sam, the coaching staff.

“Supporters are saying ‘we need to sign someone’ – we do, but it’s got to be the right one.

“You can’t dive in for the sake of diving in, but we are trying.

“We will use the loan market if need be.

“Fingers crossed we can get one of our own, but at this level look at how many teams use the loan system and it’s vital.

“It’s nice to be in a position where we can buy a striker, but sometimes the price gets exaggerated over the value of the player you are looking for.

“It’s tricky sometimes to get players to move here, some southern lads want to say in the south.

“But there are Northern lads who will want to come north.

“It’s about finding the right blend, the right people to come into the club, but we won’t buy someone for the sake of it.

“We want someone to benefit the side, make us better, not for the short-term, but longer-term as well as you have invested money on a transfer and wages.”

Moore and chairman Gary Coxall will keep ‘shopping’ and the boss hopes a couple on at least two of the three targets they are chasing.

“One of them is dead in the water, basically because of a southern connection,” he revealed.

“But we remain hopeful – we have gone back with improved offers on two of them, so we’re just waiting.

“We might have one in [for the Exeter game] and that would give me another headache, which is good, that’s what we need.”

Moore says success in the transfer market could alter not just his side tomorrow, but the formation.

“If we have two decent strikers then why just play with one up top?” he said.

“We might go 4-4-2 when we get the striking partnership right up there.”