Keith Curle gives latest on Cobblers' recruitment plans

Cobblers boss Keith Curle has met with several of his summer targets as he presses on with plans to piece together a squad that will be competitive in League One next season.

The Town manager revealed last month that Cobblers had 'irons in the fire' following their play-off final win over Exeter City, which secured the club's return to the third tier.

Curle likes to meet potential targets face-to-face before signing them and while the coronavirus pandemic has made that a little trickier this summer, he will not sign any player without getting to know their character first.

"I always like to meet players before signing them and we've identified a few players and spoken to their representatives," he said.

"I've had four or five meetings with different players and the first meeting is purely about getting to know their character, their personality and for them to understand some of the fundamentals I have in place.

"It's also a chance for them to get to know me and how I work and what my demands are. There's nothing about the structure of the contract regarding wages or the length of any deal or anything like that.

"It's purely about them as a person and as a player and what their ambitions are, how hungry they are and where they see themselves - those conversations are important first of all."

Curle has moved on to discuss the financial details with some of his targets, albeit with mixed success.

"After meeting with players, it's then a case of speaking to their representatives to find out the finances and how we can make things work for all parties," added Curle.

"On some players, we're miles apart but on others, we're within the remit of where I see them being value for money."