It's just over two weeks until the transfer windows reopnens.

That does not carry as much significance for non-league clubs like Chester FC .

But there is no doubt that Football League outfits being able to wheel and deal again could have a knock-on effect on clubs lower down the pyramid - particularly in the National League.

Blues boss Marcus Bignot will almost certainly be looking to add to his squad if finance enables him to.

But so, too, are managers of teams in and around Chester at the bottom of the non-league top flight...

Relegation rivals to spend

One of those being new Barrow boss Ady Pinnock.

The Bluebirds lost key trio Jordan Williams, Nick Anderton and Richie Bennett during the summer and more players, like Alex-Ray Harvey and Liam Hughes, during what has been a season of much upheaval at Holker Street.

But Barrow managing director Andrew Casson is hopeful there will be no further exits in January while promising Pennock he will be able to bolster a squad that currently sits four points above the drop spots.

Casson told the North-West Evening Mail : "There is definitely going to be some activity.

"Whether or not it is significant, will depend on everyone's definition of significant.

"The management, myself and the chairman are in agreement that this team have enough talent to not be relegated, to finish somewhere in that 16th-to-eighth window depending on a bit of luck and things like that."

Paul Cox

Paul Cox, who started the season in the Bluebirds hotseat but is now in charge of Guiseley, has started his new year recruitment drive early.

Injury-ravaged Guiseley have lost their last four league fixtures to slip to second from bottom and seven points adrift of safety.

And that has led Cox, whose side head to Gateshead in the FA Trophy tomorrow, to signing Oxford United forward James Roberts and Nottingham Forest defender Adam Crookes on loan. Roberts once had a loan spell at Chester.

Cox had told the Telegraph & Argus : "I need to bring in quality and I need to act now.

"I have to make sure we have enough players for Saturday and also that numbers are healthy for the Christmas period.

"I am 100 per cent certain that we will have new players for Saturday and I want to bring in more before we play Aldershot so that we have plenty of cover for the holiday period."

Wrexham windfall

You may well have seen that prolific Motherwell striker Louis Moult will sign for Championship outfit Preston North End in January for a fee in the region of £500,000.

Well, that's good news for Wrexham.

The Dragons negotiated a sell-on clause - rumored to be as high as 25% - when Moult left to join the Scottish Premiership outfit in the summer of 2015.

The forward scored 16 goals in 42 games in his sole season at the Racecourse and has since netted 50 times in 98 appearances for the Motherwell. Not bad going at all.

Louis Moult celebrates scoring against Altrincham during his time with Wrexham

Neither will be the fee Wrexham will receive, although they are remaining tight-lipped over exactly how much it will be.

But, with January approaching, we're sure Dean Keates, who has signed trialist Ferdinand Takyi on non-contract forms, will be delighted.

Dragons club club secreatary Geraint Parry told our sister paper the Daily Post: "It's good news for Louis and Wrexham, though we don't yet know how much money we will receive as a result.

"Potentially it will be a pleasant New Year bonus. We wish Louis all the best at Preston as he was excellent when he was here."

Hartlepool injury blow

One of the teams who will be looking over their shoulder going into the busy festive schedule are Hartlepool United.

Craig Harrison's side have lost five of their last seven matches in all competitions and have now been rocked by the news that captain Carl Magnay is to spend more time on the sidelines.

Two games after returning from a hernia operation, Magnay has been diagnosed with suffering from fluid on the lung as a result of a collision in Pools' 4-0 loss at Dover Athletic last weekend.

Craig Harrison

"Injuries aren't helping us, we have had another,’’ said former Airbus UK Broughton boss Harrison. "Carl Magnay will be out a few weeks, after an impact injury on Saturday which has turned into something a little more serious.

"He was hospitalised on Monday and he's got a small bit of fluid on the lung. He's going to be out of training for up to two weeks and then we see. It's not good.’"