Dundee boss Paul Hartley is hoping to hear within the next 24 hours whether highly rated youngster Blair Spittal will be joining the Dark Blues.
The Queen’s Park midfielder has been offered a deal by the manager but he faces a battle for the 18-year-old’s signature, with at least two other clubs, including Dundee United, hot on his trail.
The Tangerines would appear to be favourites to succeed in capturing Spittal but Hartley has not given up hope.
Regardless of the outcome of that pursuit, the manager, who signed Kevin Thomson, James McPake and Scott Bain last week, is still working hard behind the scenes to bring in further new faces.
He distanced himself, however, from speculation linking him with former Hearts player Ryan Stevenson as well as ex-Scotland star James McFadden.
He said: “We are speaking to one or two people just now and we might have something done by the end of the week. Ryan Stevenson is one of the names that has been mentioned but everybody has been mentioned.
“We had a text from somebody there that we are in for McFadden but that was way off the mark also.
“We are trying to do a bit of business but we are attempting to keep it close to our chest. However, it is not easy these days as we saw yesterday with the stuff that came out with Blair Spittal.
“We have made an offer for him, it has been agreed, we have spoken to him and we are just waiting for an answer from him within the next 24 hours.
“He is a young player with good ability. I have seen a lot of the lower leagues over the last couple of years and he was sort of earmarked for me when I was at Alloa, going back 18 months, so he has been on my radar in that period of time but there are a couple of other clubs in for him so it is the boy’s decision now.
“He is young and there is a lot of pressure on him. If it is to be, then great, if it’s not, then we just have to move on again. We are in a market for a few and hopefully we can get one or two tied up by the end of the week.”
One player who will definitely be at Dens next season is striker Peter MacDonald.
Peaso was a guest on a national radio show at the weekend and when he was asked if he had a contract with Dundee next season, he said that he had a year’s option but was not sure if it kicked in automatically or whether he had to go to the club to sign it.
Hartley insisted, however, that the 33-year-old already has a contract in place and he is very much part of his plans.
The manager said: “There is no confusion. I don’t know where this is coming from. He signed a two-year deal last season so he still has a year left.
“There is no confusion on my part. Letters are being sent out today, tellingthe players when they are due back for pre-season and Peaso will be here, there is no doubt about it.
“He scored 20 goals for us last season so he is an important part of the squad.
“The players who are under contract are part of my plans, of course. That might change throughout the season but we need to have a squad that can compete.”
As well as trying to bolster that roster with fresh faces, Hartley is still on the look-out for a new assistant with former No 2 Ray Farningham now in charge of the club’s youth set-up.
The manager is looking to have the new man in place sooner rather than later but he revealed there is an obstacle to be overcome before that can happen.
He said: “I am hoping that something will be done by the end of the week on that front. We are in talks just now but he is contracted to another club so we are having to wait.”
Hartley has been racking up the air miles recently, with visits to Hungary to view training facilities and then to Poland last weekend to watch players.
He confirmed that the Dark Blues will travel out to Budapest on Thursday July 3, staying at the Globall Football Park centre, returning to Scotland a week later.
Hartley added: “It’s important with a new group of players that we have time away and see that they’re mixing well.
“The players need time to gel a pre-season trip will aid that. I was over in Poland at the weekend just taking a game in to see a couple of players who had been recommended.
“I thought it was worthwhile to see what it was like but it was an end-of-season game and both teams had nothing to play for. It was good, though, to make contact with certain people over there.”