O’Donnell in a tug of love
Archibald resisting United interest
PARTICK THISTLE manager Alan Archibald has revealed that Jackie McNamara wants to s i gn f ul l - back Stephen O’Donnell for Dundee United.
His Tannadice counterpart took the 22-year-old to Firhill from Celtic in 2011 when he was Jags boss and has paid Archibald the courtesy of informing him that he is keen to be reunited with the player.
McNamara has already returned to the club he left two years ago to sign midfielders Paul Paton and Chris Erskine.
But although O’Donnell will become a free agent at the end of the season, Archibald has recommended to his club’s directors that they should not cash in on their asset during this transfer window.
‘Dundee United have made us aware that they are interested in Stephen but they haven’t made a bid or anything like that,’ Archibald said. ‘It doesn’t really matter what the fee is because we can’t afford to let him go — unless it was crazy money.
‘He’s our only full-back who is fit and available — along with the young lad Dale Keenan — so we’re in a position where we can’t let him go.
‘Jackie phoned me to make me aware that they are interested in him but are probably l ooking towards the summer.
‘I think Stephen will have a lot of interest in him from other clubs because he’s a young player available for free in May.’
Archibald has a host of first-team players who will also become free agents at the end of the current campaign. They include regulars such as Kallum Higginbotham, Abdul Osman, James Craigen, Steven Lawless and Conrad Balatoni, as well as goalkeepers Scott Fox and Paul Gallacher, and he would prefer to retain the services of the majority of them.
‘I’m eager to sit down with the players who are out of contract — but finance dictates,’ he said. ‘It’s easy enough to offer them new deals but players want a wee bit extra than what they’re on just now, so i t’s something we’re not in a position to do.
‘ Hopefully, come the end of January, we can start putting things in place to get them tied up because there are a few we want to try to get done.
‘As time goes on, we should know where we’ll be next season but — whatever league we’re in — I don’t think we’re in a position to give them enhanced deals.
‘It’s easy enough to give them another two years but no player wants the same money and that’s our difficulty — we’re not really in a position to give them more.
‘ Other clubs are in similar situations but I’d like to get them tied up because, in the last few years, we’ve always had a good core of players and each summer we’ve only needed to add three or four.
‘It’s important to have that spine in place. We’ve got about seven or eight out of contract this time, which is the most we’ve had.
‘When we won promotion from the First Division we ti ed everyone up, but that’s starting to break up a wee bit and we need to get them tied up as soon as we can.’
Thistle face a Premiership trip tomorrow to St Johnstone where boss Tommy Wright is closing in on a new deal for influential midfielder Chris Millar.
But the Perth boss refused to discuss speculation linking him with a move for out-of-contract Hearts defender Brad McKay.
Wright is eager to tie down Millar and talks are at an advanced stage.
‘David Wotherspoon signed his two-year extension recently and Chrissie Millar is close,’ said the Northern Irishman.
‘There are two or three others we are talking to. That goes on outwith the window. David’s talks started in December.
‘We want to tie down younger players as well on sightly longer contracts, which is something we haven’t done historically — l ads l i ke Chris Kane, Scott Brown and Liam Caddis.
‘We are hoping to sort out deals for them.’
On reports that he is weighing up a move f or Tynecastle defender McKay, Wright said: ‘I do not discuss players from other clubs. We are talking to a f ew players about possible pre-contracts but it is not right for me to confirm anything until a deal is done.’
Wright is keen to add younger players to his Scottish Cupwinning squad, in the mould of 18- year- old striker George Hunter, s napped up f r om Spartans this week.
‘George was in at Livingston but broke his leg,’ he said.
‘(His move here) is refreshing and it gives hope to players who have had setbacks, maybe dropping out of f ul l- t i me football, that they can resurrect their careers.’