It seems that the transfer merry-go-round is in full swing for all except Chester FC .
Wrexham did another one of their grand unveiling ceremonies during midweek, announcing John Rooney among a trio of signings that took their tally of new additions to 10.
Elsewhere around the National League other clubs have been busy getting their business done, and with each announcement of another player signed it's hard not to feel some element of concern at the Blues approach to their summer business, which currently stands at four players out and not one yet to arrive.
There has been good work done to tie down a number of last season's squad to new deals, most notably the likes of Ryan Astles, James Alabi and Kane Richards, although with Ben Heneghan likely to start the season elsewhere and Ryan Higgins and Johnny Hunt yet to commit their futures to the Blues next season, the 'out' list could grow further.
Unlike with the job Gary Mills faces at Wrexham, where a failure to reach the play-offs last season has seen him admit to his own failings and tear up a squad to start from scratch, there is no such rebuilding job to be done at Chester, just an improvement on the disappointment that was last season.
The influx of new faces during the summer can be an exciting time, a time when every player is judged on their previous best work and the possibilities for the new campaign are endless. Frustration is understandable given the lack of signings forthcoming and two of last season's star performers having left for pastures new.
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But Jon McCarthy knows what he is doing.
There is nothing wrong with getting your business done early but it isn't a requirement for success during the forthcoming season.
Signing players early means that you are paying at the top end of the scale, pretty close to what the demands of the players are when they first sat down to negotiate.
It's also worth considering the market in which we operate. Players who are snapped up first tend to be players who are in their prime and coming off the back of a strong season. They are also players who command larger wages, wages that don't trouble clubs with healthy budgets. After all, when you can afford to pay players over £1,000 a week then why should you look for a bargain?
Much has been made of budgets and it is an easy thing to hide behind but the reality is that McCarthy needs to squeeze every last drop out of the transfer kitty he is given, and if that means playing the waiting game to get better players at a lesser price then it is a risk worth taking. As long as a squad is in place for the start of pre-season then what's the harm?
As I stated in my article of Rooney's departure, no players are irreplaceable and the free agency market is flooded right now with talented players, all vying to get the best deal they possibly can. As teams fill up their squads and use their budget early doors the opportunities for the rest become less abundant and a rethinking of just how much they can realistically expect to be touting their services for is needed.
There are excellent players still out there who are without a club. Players who have something to prove, just as Ross Hannah did last season, who could prove a gem for the Blues. It's also worth noting that most Football League contracts only expired last week.
If McCarthy can hold his nerve on a few targets and get his men for less money then it opens up the possibility of adding another body to his squad, one that could prove pivotal throughout the season.
McCarthy and Sharps have drawn up an exhaustive list of players and are not short of options, they are simply choosing them carefully.
It's also wrong to assume that simply because someone is on holiday that they are out of the loop and not able to handle club business. Football managers at this time of year, regardless of where they are in the world, are rarely out of contact for enough time that they can't get a deal done if needed.
This summer will be the first test for McCarthy to see how he can build a squad on limited resources to be able to compete with clubs whose financial muscle is far greater.
In securing a core of last season's squad, despite some having possibly been fortunate to be given another chance, McCarthy has a nucleus of a squad he knows and what that he believes he can improve and build upon.
Gone are the days of Chester being linked with half of the Liverpool-born players in League Two, this is where we are at now and it is the fans' hard-earned money that is being spent. McCarthy knows this and he knows he has to spend it wisely. Let's see how he does.
