Dunfermline manager Stevie Crawford has refused to rule out a January move for highly-rated Crystal Palace youngster Scott Banks.
Banks left Dundee United for the English Premier League side in January last year before returning north to Alloa on loan for the remainder of the season.
Palace manager Roy Hodgson recently spoke of the 19-year-old in glowing terms and hinted he could soon be a first-team option.
But, having previously knocked back clubs interested in a loan for the teenager, reports have suggested the Scotland under-19 cap could now be farmed out for experience, with Dunfermline said to be interested.
Crawford said: “If you throw any name at me now it would be wrong for me to turn around and say, ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘maybe’.
“I’m not going to comment on another player at another club.
“We do work tirelessly behind the scenes to try to strengthen the squad and that’s the important thing for me.
“Most of the time it doesn’t come off, but if we are going to add to the squad it will hopefully be to strengthen us.
“I can’t guarantee that there will be additions – or an addition – because there are other parties that get involved in that.
“But we are looking to try to do some work between now and the end of the month.”
Meanwhile, Crawford insists Dunfermline are doing all they can to try to stay clear of Covid-19 – but fears it will affect the East End Park club at some point.
Fife neighbours Raith Rovers are recovering from an outbreak of the virus in the Stark’s Park squad and Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell last week asked Championship clubs if they wanted to play on in the face of growing concerns over the pandemic.
And Crawford is adamant the Pars know how lucky they are to be able to keep playing when leagues below the second-tier have been ordered to stop.
WATCH 📺 | A superb strike by Scott Banks to draw us level with Peterhead at Broadwood yesterday – also the on loan Dundee United player's first senior goal. 🥅 pic.twitter.com/m30vijAgPl
— Clyde FC (@ClydeFC) April 7, 2019
He added: “We’re in a position where we’re being allowed to play football and being allowed to train. We need to be respectful of it.
“We are in a privileged situation and we have to follow the guidelines and make sure we don’t abuse anything.
“But that’s not to guarantee anything.
“We’ve just been tested again and fingers crossed the results are negative, but the virus is spreading as badly as it has since the pandemic started.
“So, we need to make sure we very much focus on following the guidelines.
“We’re human beings, we’ve all got families, and we’ve all got homes to go to.
“At some point, you’re going to come into contact [with the virus]; you’ve got to go out and food shop, or whatever it is.
Covid-19 challenges facing football clubs
“It’s just trying to limit these situations.
“Touch wood, at the moment, we’ve managed to keep it at bay at the club.
“We’ve got to try to limit being out amongst the public, as everybody else is doing.
“We can’t guarantee it, but what we can do is try to limit it and the boys have been fully focused on that and everyone that’s working at the club as well.
“Long may that continue.”
