Transfer speculation has been quiet this week, with just long-term targets John Souttar and Siriki Dembele attracting headlines for different reasons, both, who fit UEFA’s home grown criteria for European competition, should still be on our sporting director’s radar despite Steven Gerrard moving on and Giovanni van Bronckhorst taking charge.
This is a subtle shift in our transfer policy that, if practicable and there are players of a suitable standard available, we should look to bring more Scottish and Scottish eligible players in to the squad, be it to improve the starting XI or replace fringe players who aren’t contributing.
For example, Souttar is better player than Jack Simpson, Dembele is a better player than Brandon Barker, straight away we would have more spaces in our European squad if we signed those players and avoid the sort of situation that saw us have to play Calvin Bassey and Leon Balogun together against Sparta Prague.
If they are out of contract or approaching the end of their contact – like the two players already mentioned – then it makes it even better and fits our player trading model of buying low and selling high.
So, who else is there that could be on Ross Wilson’s list?
Jacob Brown
The Stoke City forward has just been capped by Scotland in the recent international break and has been rewarded for a fine season with five goals and four assists in 17 appearances, at 23-years old he has lent of potential, he is also capable of playing as a wide forward too – something we use quite often.
Stephen Kingsley
After learning his trade at Falkirk, the 27-year old Hearts left-back moved south to England – well Wales – with Swansea City and spent most of his time in the Championship, he does though, have experience in the Premier League and has a solitary Scotland cap. In fairness left-back is probably the hardest position to get a game at international level just now with Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney at the front of the queue. If we were to cash in on Borna Barisic, he would fit in well to our style of play and has the versatility to play in the centre of defence – he is also out of contract in the summer.
There’s not many others available at this end of the market, Callum Patterson, Graeme Shinnie and Craig Halkett probably the best of a bad bunch but even then, they don’t really offer an improvement on what we already have.
It’s going to be an interesting transfer window and no doubt Van Bronckhorst will want to bring players in that he’s aware of already but we need to strike a balance which, as we’ve seen this week, we can trust Ross Wilson to do.