Fleetwood Town reject Carlisle United's late deadline day loan bid for Ashley Nadesan

With the future of Town's 12-goal Sheffield United loan star Ched Evans up in the air as Championship club Bolton try to secure a deadline day steal Town have turned down advances for another member of their strike force.

Carlisle said they have had a 'significant bid' turned down by Town but the Gazette understands that move by the Cumbrians was just a loan offer.

Nadesan, who will be out of contract in the summer, has returned from a nine-goal loan spell at Brunton Park and has gone straight into Barton’s first team, starting the last four matches.

Rules allow players to feature for no more than two clubs in one season, meaning Nadesan could only join Carlisle if he were to leave.

The striker joined Town from non-league side Horley Town in the summer of 2016 but only made his league debut for the club this month.

Barton stressed he has not recalled the striker simply to sign him up to a fresh deal and then sell him on.

He wants to give the forward a chance of making it as a first-team player at Highbury.

He said: “I don’t know what had gone on before but clearly it was not favourable, so they ended up in a situation where his contract has got a year to run.

“I’ve been transparent with Nadders. I thought it was best for him to get a loan.

“I said 'if you go out on loan and do well, you will come back as a first-team player'.

"I think I have been true to my word on that. Over the last few games he has done really well.

“When he came back, I didn't say, ‘You have to do this or you won’t play'. That is not my style.

“I said, 'Come in, play your games and we will have a conversation about it'. If he wants to stay, great.

“If he sees his future elsewhere, then I’m surmising over the next four or five months that we will talk that out. We want him to stay.

“Andy (Pilley, chairman) has given him a chance. He brought him from McDonalds (where Nadesan was working) and non-league and has given him a chance to be a professional footballer at this club.

“From our perspective we have done everything we can possibly do.