Thomas confirms Goode's sale will boost Curle's transfer budget

Cobblers chairman Kelvin Thomas has confirmed that some of the funds received from Charlie Goode's sale to Brentford will go towards the club's transfer budget.

Town have signed four players so far this summer but will need to at least double that before the first League One fixture of the season on September 12.

Goode's sale to Brentford, worth up to £1.5million including add-ons, provides a welcome cash injection at a difficult time for football clubs, and it will also give manager Keith Curle a little more flexibility in his quest for new signings.

"A lot of focus is put on transfers but discussions are ongoing all the time and we're always planning for different scenarios depending on what might happen," said Thomas.

"You also make assumptions and you get to a point in any transfer deal where you start assuming it's going to happen and then plan for what will happen next.

"So some of those decisions have already been made and it's not suddenly impacted because the money's now in the bank - the reality is we've got to be so careful with the current situation due to the lack of income."

Thomas has warned fans not to expect a rush of new signings though, with the club opting for a more measured approach.

He continued: "It'll definitely help Keith in the budget but that doesn't necessarily mean lots of transfers and we're suddenly going to spend it all on one player because that won't be the case.

"We learned a few years ago that it's probably not the best approach to suddenly go out and pay a lot of money for players.

"You've got to make sure you're recruiting the right ones and there has to be other characteristics that come into play before money - we've learned that the hard way.

"We've talked about increasing the budget and of course it does give us a bit more flexibility and a bit more leeway but there are also realities that have to be considered."

With that said, however, Thomas did hint that a new signing might be on the way, adding: "We'll take a calculated approach. If a fee is required, that's how it is but it's also fine if it's not.

"We're currently hoping to get in an experienced player on a free transfer that would typically require a fee, so it shouldn't be looked at negatively. We'll see what happens over the next couple of weeks."

Thomas also had praise for Curle's approach in the transfer market, adding: "Keith feels like he's spending his own money! He's always looking for a good deal but also a fair deal because it's not as if we're looking to get everything on the cheap.

"We're very reasonable and we're very fair and people fit within our budget. Other clubs may have different budgets and different things but we'll put character above the finances.

"Those two things are tied because if someone is coming just for the finances then sometimes you can question the character.

"You look at what Charlie has done in terms of donating some of the money he was due to the academy and that's something we identified in him and that's the type of character we want - it's important in any player."