By Graeme Dey

DUNDEE chief executive Dave MacKinnon admitted yesterday that there isn’t about to be an outbreak of re-signing activity at Dens because there’s no necessity to tie up the management team of Alex Rae and Davie Farrell and the players whose deals expire next summer have already rejected two approaches from the club!

Rae, Farrell and a host of first team stars such as Kevin McDonald, Paul Dixon, Scott Robertson, Gavin Swankie and Derek Lyle are all out of contract come the end of the present campaign.

But there’s no chance of that situation being headed off in the short term giving rise, perhaps worryingly, to the possibility of the players concerned talking to other clubs come the turn of the year.

However, MacKinnon insists Dundee have done all that they can to prevent departures.

“We see Alex and Davie being at Dens Park long-term and they know that,” he said.

“If they want to sign an extension then that’s fine but they don’t need to put pen to paper for their future to lie here and to be honest the main priority is getting players signed up.

“The club has been pro-active in that regard.

“We spoke to those involved at the end of last season and again at the start of this season but—influenced by their agents—they are holding off at the moment.

“It wasn’t a case of our trying to coerce people into signing for what we can afford to pay them now.

“There would have been clauses in the contracts guaranteeing increases if we won promotion.

“But the ball is very much in their and their agents courts.

“We cannot force them to sign if they don’t want to.

“However, I’m not losing any sleep over a situation which could change over the next month or two.

“If we get into a position where we are looking at getting into the SPL next year then I’m sure some of them will decide they want to be part of that.”

The loss of top prospects Dixon, McDonald and Robertson—all of whom have already attracted interest and bids from bigger clubs—would be a bitter blow for the Dark Blues.

Only in the case of the first two named would that be softened by entitlement to compensation, as Robertson turns 23 next April.

But MacKinnon is adamant his club won’t accept cut-price offers in exchange for letting any of their out-of-contract men leave in January.

“No doubt we will be made offers in the window for some of our players,” he said.

“But we won’t accept derisory bids just because those concerned only have six months left on their contracts.

“Unless it’s an offer which reflects their value we’ll be saying NO because we want to get promoted.”

DUNDEE UNITED will complete the signing of Berwick Rangers midfielder Danny Swanson today on a three-year deal.

The 21-year-old will train with United twice a week in the short term until officially joining them when the transfer window opens on January 1.