Last updated 12:12, Wednesday, 16 July 2008

Here's a scenario which will infuriate Carlisle United’s fans.

Wanted: United striker Joe Garner. ‘No deal has been agreed with Nottm Forest and he remains a Carlisle United player,’ says David Allen

Nottingham Forest up their offer for Joe Garner and the Blues’ crocked young star demands a move to the Championship new boys.

The United board decide to cash in on their prized asset just weeks after selling star keeper Keiren Westwood to Coventry City.

Outraged fans, already feeling frustrated at the lack of any transfer activity this summer, are left feeling let down, angry and once again turn their backs on the club.

Yet despite United’s best efforts to bat away Forest’s £500,000 bid and their insistence they’re desperate to hang on to the former England youth international, the signs are Garner, right, will be on his way.

That’s why it is imperative that United act quickly and anticipate any move Forest make by bringing in a quality replacement BEFORE Garner goes otherwise the backlash could destroy all the progress and goodwill built up over the past four years.

Just weeks after directors David Allen, John Nixon, Andrew Jenkins and Steve Pattison bought Fred Story’s controlling stake in the club, if they lost a player of Garner’s potential without first signing another striker, it would send out the worst possible message. There’s little doubt it will hit season ticket sales and imagine how demoralising it would be for United’s other young stars like Danny Livesey, Danny Graham and David Raven to see the club part with another top player.

They’re hungry and ambitious to help Carlisle win promotion to the Championship after agonisingly missing out last season, and it’s clear that United are just a couple of players away from being genuine promotion contenders.

Players like to dream as much as fans.

They want to believe that they will be celebrating winning the League One title next May.

With Garner finally back in the team after recovering from a cruciate knee ligament injury it could be a reality.

His absence in the second half of last season almost certainly cost Carlisle promotion. It was a devastating blow as the former Blackburn Rovers youngster had been in flying form with 14 goals and turning out to be an inspired acquisition.

Under-whelming is the only word that sums up Carlisle’s lack of transfer activity this summer.

No one wants to hear false promises, but the deafening silence coming from Brunton Park is doing nothing to spark excitement among any Carlisle fans I know of.