Curle wants Cobblers to be more like Posh off the pitch

Posh have developed a reputation for signing and developing young players before selling them on for a significant profit, with Ivan Toney the most recent example.

Peterborough bought the former Town striker from Newcastle United for a reported £300,000 fee in 2018 and after scoring 24 goals in League One last season, he was sold for over £6million to Brentford earlier this summer. Posh have also made big profits on Conor Washington, Britt Assombalonga and Dwight Gayle, among others, in the last six years.

Under Curle, the Cobblers are hoping to adopt a similar approach. Charlie Goode, signed for a modest amount 12 months ago, recently left for a club record fee, while the likes of Ricky Korboa, Fraser Horsfall and Benny Ashley-Seal were recruited this summer, all of whom are 23 or younger and have room for development.

"It's got to be respected," said Curle on Peterborough's business model. "They buy early and they buy to develop players and they've got a good network of recruitment whereby they spot talent early, develop it and then sell it for market value which is very good business.

"There are players out there who are underdeveloped and haven't got the exposure but it takes a lot of hard work and it's something we're trying to bring into this football club.

"That's what myself and Simon Tracey, the head of recruitment, are doing. We're looking for those gems and Charlie Goode is a prime example of that. He was under the radar playing for Scunthorpe reserves and he had a different journey into football through the non-league route.

"We bought him for a very modest price but sold him for good value and those things don't just happen when a new manager and a new head of recruitment walks through the door. It takes time to develop because you have to bring in the right players at the right time and put them into the right system and nurture their progression.

"Peterborough have got that structure in place and they've had it in place for a while. Their chairman is very vocal and very opinionated but behind the scenes, with Barry Fry, they've got good football knowledge."

Curle also praised Posh boss Darren Ferguson, a former team-mate of his at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"Darren has got a fantastic pedigree in football and now he's got his own identity and that's something he's always strived for," said Curle. "I played with him at Wolves and he's very much an individual thinker - he won't be swayed by other people's opinions. He's got a view of how he wants the game played and that's very important.

"The team are well-coached and well-organised and there's a good structure in place at the club. There's a vast amount of knowledge with good business sense and a good foundation and that's something we're aiming to replicate here."