Graham Coughlan: 'We've had enquiries...we put the phone down', says Newport boss
- Published
Newport County manager Graham Coughlan has had to cope with a lengthy injury list this season
Newport County boss Graham Coughlan says they have turned down approaches for players in the January window.
He also admits he will have to show "patience" to capture his own targets.
A takeover by former Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins should be confirmed imminently and there is also the possibility of a money-spinning FA Cup home tie with Manchester United.
"We have had one or two inquiries for our players which we have put the phone down on," said Coughlan
"We want to keep the players we don't want to move them on."
Top scorer Will Evans has been the centre of most of the speculation. But though the Newport boss knows every player has their price, the League Two outfit are keen to hold on to their best players.
Coughlan added: "We have turned interest away for one or two of our players. I want to try to keep them. I want to try to build something and naturally if one or two of those players are assets to the football club, you want to hold on to those assets."
"I think previously those assets were able to walk free, those assets were able to leave the football club but I need to nail them down, hold on to them and keep them.
"I think everyone is in unison, we are all on the same hymn sheet from upstairs through the football club. We are all aligned, there seems to be a little bit of a plan, a structure.
"There seems to be a willingness to keep our better players and build something better and try and push this football club onto a better place and a better position over the next 18 months."
There will be even more clarity on the future once the Football League have given their approval for the takeover of the club by Jenkins. Coughlan is confident that process will be complete by the end of January.
In the meantime he is still looking to strengthen his own squad, though without success so far.
"Unfortunately I have to display something I am not very good at - and that is patience," he said.
"Yes I am biting my fingernails, biting my tongue and putting my head on the pillow at night having sleepless nights but if I can be patient and keep my powder dry I think the players we want will come up and we will have a strong window."
Newport travel to Doncaster Rovers in League Two on Saturday before facing a crunch FA Cup third round replay at National League Eastleigh, with the lucrative prospect of hosting Manchester United in a televised fourth round tie on Sunday, January 28.
Coughlan is determined his players will concentrate fully on Doncaster and while he hopes to give minutes to Liverpool loanee Adam Lewis and midfielder Aaron Wildig, he will not be resting players ahead of Tuesday - despite the money spinning nature of the prize at stake in the replay.
"I don't have the squad or the luxury of a rotation policy, I don't have the numbers to rest. What we have is what we have," he said.