Ollie Horgan is keen to add new blood to his panel as a matter of urgency, but admits that securing players is easier said than done.
Confirmation that striker Ciaran O’Connor will not be renewing his loan deal until the end of the current season has added to that notion.
Instead of staying at Harps, O’Connor – who scored five goals in Harps colours during the first half of the season – is instead expected to rock up at Bohemians.
Harps have already bid farewells to Thomas McMonagle and Michael Funston, who left the club before the transfer window opened.
“We’re still looking and still speaking to players,” Horgan said.
“Whether we’re close to signing…I don’t know what close is anymore!
“There are a few that aren’t dead in the water, if I am to believe what they’re saying to me. There are a few still hanging out there.”
Midfielder Liam Martin has left Sligo Rovers, but is moving to England and, therefore, is not on the Harps radar.
The situation at Bray Wanders at the moment is muddying some waters. A crisis meeting is to take place at Bray tonight and manager Harry Kenny could leave the Carlisle Grounds.
Backers of the club who had been bankrolling the Seagulls have withdrawn support in light of poor attendances and Bray confirmed in a statement, released at half-time in Friday’s game against Dundalk, that they would be unable to meet their wage bill beyond this week.
Dylan Connolly has already left for Dundalk and Aaron Greene is expected to move to Cork City. With the majority of the Bray first-team squad expected to leave, Horgan has spoken to a couple of those on their books, including defender Hugh Douglas, but will have a fight on his hands.
Horgan says the situation at Bray is likely to aid Harps’ relegation rivals.
“If it stayed as it was, we’d definitely have had a fighting chance of surviving,” Horgan said.
“With the Bray situation, it has probably helped all the clubs around us, bar ourselves. That has added to our difficulty.”
Horgan, though, could yet tempt Douglas to Ballybofey, while the Harps manager and his assistant, Paul Hegarty, are actively pursuing other avenues.
Horgan said: “We have looked at guys and we have had guys in with us over the last few weeks, but we’ve had no-one signing with us yet.”
