Newcastle United midfielder should be among those on Carlisle United's transfer shortlist right now | OneFootball

United will likely need more winter reinforcements.

Carlisle United once again find themselves in a position where they are looking at the free agent market and towards the January transfer window.

There's no other way to put it: Carlisle have had a horrible start to the season. The team that spoke openly about their promotion hopes before their first match against Gillingham have fallen towards the foot of the football league, and pressure is building on the whole club.

Similar desperation to escape the relegation spots was felt in the 2023/24 season when the Blues were in League One. They were the underdogs trying to beat the odds in a league in which their starting budget didn't merit them being in. They ended up last in the league, suffering an embarrassing relegation.

If they thought that last season's drop was shameful, the red-faced feeling would be on a whole other level if it were to happen again this time around.

Thoughts are already turning to how they can improve the squad as the Blues explore the free agent market. They will also be looking ahead to the January window, mapping out potential deals that they could do to bring in players.

These four should be looked at by United ahead of the new year.

Regan Booty

Carlisle's relatively new head coach, Mike Williamson, should be able to use his many connections within the game to improve his new team. He wants to play a possession-heavy style which has been adopted relatively well by the backline, but some of the midfielders have struggled.

Regan Booty, a 26-year-old Gateshead midfielder who was signed by Williamson last summer, will know the demands of playing in his system. He had a strong season under the Carlisle boss and now Crawley Town manager Rob Elliot, racking up six combined goals and assists.

It is true that he has not long extended his scheduled stay with the Heed until the summer of 2026, but that is no guarantee that he won't be available in the upcoming window, especially for the right offer.

Timothy Eyoma

While playing out from the back hasn't been too problematic for United's defenders, keeping the goals out of their net has been. Timothy Eyoma - a player that could be signed tomorrow if a deal worked for both parties - could potentially help to add some solidity to Carlisle's defence.

The free agent defender was released by Lincoln City in the summer - the club who he'd been with since he left Tottenham Hotspur's academy.

The positional versatility of Eyoma, 24, would be a big boost for the Blues as he can play right across the backline.

Another dip into the talent of the National League, this time for Dagenham & Redbridge's Dion Pereira, could further help Williamson implement his system.

The Luton Town loanee winger has played on the right-wing for Dagenham since joining in the summer, but the 25-year-old's heatmap from this season shows that he also likes to come inside as well as hug the touchline.

Carlisle have Jordan Jones, who can play in that way from the left, but nobody who can naturally do it from the right. Pereira would fit well in that inside forward position that Williamson likes his forward players to take up.

Alfie Harrison

For years, Carlisle have failed to use their somewhat local connections to acquire talent. Poaching the unwanted/needing to be developed talent from teams like Newcastle United has been a rarity in recent years, but that should change with Williamson at the helm.

He signed Carlisle-born Magpies youngster Joe White for MK Dons in the summer. A similar move could be made for a different midfield talent from the northeast side in the winter: Alfie Harrison.

The 18-year-old (will be 19 by January) former Manchester City academy product joined Newcastle last February. His upbringing through the City system should make him well versed in playing the style of football that Williamson wants to see at Brunton Park.