Harrogate Town happy that Luke Armstrong's Carlisle United move represents a good bit of business

The Sulphurites confirmed on Monday that last season’s leading goal-scorer had left Wetherby Road to join up with his new team-mates ahead of a move which will be formally completed once the transfer window opens on January 1.

Town thought that they had sold 27-year-old Armstrong to League Two rivals Wrexham at the very end of the summer window, only for that switch to collapse due to the Red Dragons failing to submit paperwork relevant to the player’s registration to the FA in sufficient time.

With Harrogate reluctant to let an asset with more than two years left to run on his contract leave, they held out for a transfer fee that, although undisclosed, was reported in the summer to be in the region of £500,000.

And while the price that the Cumbrians will pay for their new centre-forward will be significantly less than the amount Wrexham had agreed to stump up, Sulphurites boss Simon Weaver insists that he would not have sanctioned a deal that did not see the club realise a fair return on a player with a proven track record in front of goal.

As was the case back in September, the exact figure remains undisclosed, though the News & Star have reported that Carlisle have broken their previous transfer record of £140,000 but shelled out ‘significantly less than the £500,000 quoted for the attacker in the summer.’

"Obviously the transfer fee is undisclosed, and so I can't discuss the sum,” Weaver told the Harrogate Advertiser.

"But, suffice to say, we were happy to agree a deal with Carlisle quite quickly because we were happy with the outcome. I think that says a lot.

"And I don't think that Luke Armstrong's stock has dropped that dramatically just because he's had a few lean months and hasn't been in the same form you'd probably expect from him. He's still a proven goal-scorer and everybody knows about his quality and ability, so we valued him accordingly.

"It was an uncomplicated process, and I want to extend my thanks to Greg Abbott, Carlisle's head of recruitment, because he was brilliant to deal with. He came over and met me face-to-face and we had some good conversations.

"He was clear about what they could do in terms of a transfer fee and we were clear about what we wanted. There are always a couple of chats backwards and forwards from where you initially start a negotiation, but Carlisle didn't mess about. They were direct with their offer and I'm grateful to Greg for his straightforward and professional approach."

Weaver was initially determined to try and keep hold of Armstrong when clubs began to make enquiries about his availability on the eve of the 2023/24 campaign and he offered the player a new three-year contract on improved terms, despite him still having a couple of years to run on his existing deal.

The writing has however been on the wall for quite some time, with Armstrong having been clear about his desire to move on.

And even though Weaver welcomed the former Middlesbrough striker straight back into the fold after his Wrexham switch collapsed, he has not featured for the club since mid-November, which coincides with the timing of Carlisle’s approach.

Asked if he was still disappointed to be losing a forward of Armstrong’s quality, the Town chief replied: "What happened in September proved to be a big disappointment for all parties, but I think that this is an arrangement that suits everyone involved.

"We felt that we were destined to lose Luke. We had an agreement to that end, so we've gone ahead and planned for the future without him.

"Of course he has been a big player for us and scored a lot of important goals, so we can't underestimate the contribution he has made - or his value to us. But, we had to move on in our heads and plan for the future.

"We want the forward players we have at the club to grow and fill Luke's shoes, and he undeniably does leave a big hole to fill. But I am proud of the lads who have stepped up in his absence.”

In total, Armstrong made 116 competitive appearances for Town, scoring 31 times and contributing 13 assists