Dundee United boss Jackie McNamara has revealed that he is determined to continue to tie players to longer contracts in a bid to avoid a Tannadice “fire sale”.
Stuart Armstrong became the latest of the Tangerines’ highly-rated prospects to put pen to paper on an extended deal on Thursday.
And McNamara admits that having had their fingers burned when another red-hot former United star Johnny Russell left for Derby County, the club are determined it won’t happen again.
The manager said: “For me, the important thing is trying to keep the unit together if you look around the media everyone else is trying to sell them off!
“Stuart was going into the last year and a half of his contract and it was important for him and for us that he extended that.
“We didn’t want a fire sale because you panic you’ll lose them for nothing when players go into their last year.
“We had that last year with Johnny Russell where our hand was forced into selling him, which we wouldn’t have done if he’d had another year.
“The frustrating thing for me is that just as you’re starting to get them playing and doing well, everyone wants to sell them off.
“You can’t help speculation, I’m talking about ex-players telling them to go here or go there.
“They’re focused and they’re embracing it very well and for me that comes in their parents and their background.
“I won’t stand here and have a pop at agents. They’ll do what’s best for the player but also for themselves and sometimes the quick move is not the right one.
“I’m a great believer that things happen the right way. It’s not the agent who gets you the move it’s the player. And if it is the agent, then it’s not a true deal.”
McNamara insisted that if concrete bids are tabled, the players will be the first to know.
However, he stressed that the club is under no financial pressure to sell.
He added: “If offers come in for the players then I’ll sit down with them and speak to them, like we did with John Souttar and Sunderland.
“I want to be open and honest with them rather than hiding things. I want to have that trust in each other that you want them to be here.
“The time will come when all of them will probably leave, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s important it’s the right move for them, and when they say that to me nobody will be happier than myself that they go to the next level.
“There’s no financial pressure to sell. I think we’re the only club making a profit in the Premiership in the last few years so we’re doing things the right way.
“Like every club, we have a price for players but we’re not going out and putting them in the shop window.”
Meanwhile, McNamara hopes to have Gavin Gunning available again after he missed out on last week’s match against Hearts, and there is even a chance that hamstring victim Nadir Ciftci will also be in the squad for Saturday’s trip to Kilmarnock.
The manager added: “Gavin is going to train so hopefully he is OK. Nadir might have a chance of being fit if he trains with us on Friday. To be honest, I thought he’d be at least another week out.
“We’re careful that we don’t rush it so there’s no tear, but he’s not too far away.”