Transfer news will make or break Saints
With the domestic action put on ice for now, Saints fans are awaiting news of new arrivals to keep them excited ahead of the next season.
The announcement of the League Cup group stage fixtures only served to heighten the sense of anticipation ahead of the new campaign, with a trip to Dumbarton up first on Saturday July 10 giving the Buddies faithful their first date to pencil in their diaries of the 202122 season.
Manager Jim Goodwin and Tony Fitzpatrick have been clear that their ambition to reach the top six remains unwavering, having narrowly missed out on the target last time around.
To do so, they must ensure they get their recruitment absolutely spot on.
Much will swing on the future of key players Jake Doyle- Hayes and Jamie McGrath.
Doyle-Hayes is yet to agree a move to another club just yet, although it certainly seemed more likely he would be leaving the club when his agent revealed he was looking at other options for the talented young midfielder.
And while Jamie McGrath told the PDE he was very settled in Paisley, it would be naive to think that the club would turn down a seriously substantial bid for the influential playmaker.
And as a relatively young and ambitious midfielder, no fan should hold it against McGrath if he wanted to test himself at a higher level if the right opportunity came along.
The future of Ilkay Durmus also remains in the balance with the winger yet to agree to the contract offered, leaving St Mirren in a fairly precarious position with three important players’ futures all yet to be settled.
On the signing front it’s absolutely critical that St Mirren bring in some reinforcements up front.
While the club got their defensive recruitment down to a tee last summer, they began the season fairly short up front and were forced to bring in two strikers in the winter to try and beef up their struggling attack.
It was unfortunate that Eamonn Brophy and Collin Quaner both struggled for fitness so much, but a similar situation can hopefully be avoided if the right forward is brought in over the next six weeks.
With Quaner, Jon Obika and Junior Morias all leaving Paisley at the end of last month, the Buddies are left with only Brophy, Kristian Dennis and Lee Erwin as experienced, recognised strikers.
With Brophy and Dennis both struggling for fitness last season, and Erwin finding it difficult to find the back of the net on a regular basis, once again St Mirren find themselves in desperate need of a reliable forward if they’re to rectify their key flaw that cost them so dearly last season.
The addition of former Motherwell defender Charles Dunne this week looks like a shrewd acquisition.
Having watched him regularly during his first season with the Steelmen as they reached the final of the Scottish Cup and the League Cup, in a defence that also featured current Buddie Richard Tait, he’s a strong and confident defender when he’s on the park.
The centre back gives Goodwin another option at the back but he certainly has a long way to go to prove his fitness, having only played seven games in the last two seasons.
With Hearts back in the top flight, and Livingston and St Johnstone also likely to strengthen their squads after finishing in the top six last time around, St Mirren have got a serious job on their hands to both keep hold of their best players while also improving the squad as a whole.
Dunne is a decent start, but most Buddies will be hoping there’s plenty more positive business news to come out of Paisley in the next few weeks as they start to dare to dream about another successful campaign away from the drop zone.