Tony Asghar has acknowledged that “better quality players means better quality wages” — but is adamant Dundee United have not taken a financial gamble with their summer recruitment drive.
Having secured European qualification last season, United made a concerted decision to target a higher calibre of player with more top-level experience.
Of their eight arrivals, Dylan Levitt, Steven Fletcher, Aziz Behich, Mark Birighitti and Jamie McGrath are all full internationals, boasting a combined 104 caps for Wales, Scotland, Australia and Ireland.
United also paid fees for Levitt, Birighitti and Glenn Middleton.
Evidently, pedigree costs.
However, sporting director Asghar is swift to point out that United banked fees for Lawrence Shankland, Kerr Smith, Jeando Fuchs, Jamie Robson or Louis Appere, while a £1.5m insurance payment following Covid further boosted the coffers.
The Tangerines’ last accounts to June 2021 showed an operating loss of £2.27 million and a wages-to-turnover ratio of 132%.
“It’s easy to red line a figure but the accounts will be audited this year and I think you’ll find, happily, the club will be in profit,” Asghar told Courier Sport.
“There always seems to be a narrative that focuses on things that are untrue or, at least, with no research or evidence. This is not a club that will keep overspending. We have a strict, sustainable model.
“We are coming through a post-Covid regime and, this year in particular, we have enhanced the squad with better quality players which means better quality wages.
“But we have also reduced the playing capacity. Eighteen or 19 players went out the door. Our squad had got smaller and we have young players to supplement that.”
Drive
Asghar added: “The fundamentals will always be that we create this club to be sustainable and successful.
“Further to that, we sold five players last year. If you look around the other Scottish clubs, I’d be questioning to see how many others sold that amount of players.
“Everything is planned.
“I’m not fixated on negatives and neither is the manager (Jack Ross) and the owner (Mark Ogren).
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