With the transfer window officially open, Dundee United are embarking on a significant squad overhaul as they continue their journey in the top flight of Scottish football.
The club has already secured the services of forward Zac Sapsford and Moldovan international defender Iurie Iovu, but the work at Tannadice is far from complete.
A new report from The Courier has detailed the key areas manager Jim Goodwin is prioritizing, revealing a comprehensive strategy to strengthen the squad’s spine and add dynamism in the final third. The publication notes that while the club is acting with urgency, there is also an internal understanding that the transfer window is a marathon, not a sprint, recalling that last season’s key figure, Sam Dalby, was a late-summer acquisition.
Based on the detailed analysis from The Courier, here are the six most pressing priorities for Dundee United in the coming weeks.
1. Goalkeeper: A Quest for Pedigree and Reliability
Following a season where Jack Walton held the primary goalkeeping duties, a new challenger for the No. 1 jersey is considered essential. While Dave Richards, who started the final two games of the season, “has made no secret of his desire to cling on to the No.1 berth,” as noted by the report, the club is seeking to add another experienced option. Richards has played just over 100 senior games in his career, making competition a key priority for maintaining high standards. With young prospect Ruairidh Adams expected to sign a new deal but seen as one for the future, Goodwin is reportedly targeting a goalkeeper with proven “pedigree and reliability” to avoid the recruitment errors of the past.
2. Centre-Back: The Search for Experience
The arrival of 22-year-old Iurie Iovu is a promising start, but it does not fill the experience vacuum left by the recent departures of Declan Gallagher, Kevin Holt, and Emmanuel Adegboyega. The current central defensive pool, including Iovu, Sam Cleall-Harding, and Ross Graham, is described by The Courier as a “relatively youthful pool.” To balance this, the club is reportedly in the market for “at least one streetwise, quality defender” to add leadership and composure to the backline. The report also clarifies that former St Johnstone loanee Zach Mitchell is not currently an active target for the club.
3. Midfield: A Need for Power and Legs
The engine room has seen a significant exodus, with Ross Docherty, Allan Campbell, David Babunski, and Lewis Fiorini all departing. This leaves Craig Sibbald and Vicko Sevelj as the only established senior midfielders. United are looking to inject “mobility and physicality” into the center of the park. This area is identified as having the “biggest room for improvement” compared to last season’s recruitment. Encouragingly for fans, the report suggests the Terrors are understood to be “close to securing reinforcements in this area.”
4. The Luca Stephenson Situation: Patience Required
A specific and high-priority target is Liverpool’s Luca Stephenson, who impressed during his loan spell last season. United have been in recent talks with the English giants regarding the midfielder’s future. While the player is said to be open to a return to Tannadice, the situation is complex. Stephenson has one year remaining on his Liverpool contract, and it is uncertain whether he will be offered a new deal and loaned out again or advised to seek a permanent transfer. The publication firmly states that “no announcement is imminent,” urging patience as the situation develops.
5. Dangerous Wingers: Adding Pace and a Goal Threat
With Glenn Middleton’s departure and other wide players seemingly out of the picture, reinforcing the flanks is crucial. The club is seeking a different profile of player, with Goodwin reportedly wanting wingers “who can cut inside, get shots away and attack the penalty box.” The Courier confirms that a move for Finnish winger Juho Talvitie will not be happening, stating that United’s interest was limited to a “tentative enquiry.” However, a new wide man could potentially be secured by next week, with the possibility of two being signed to add depth and competition.
6. A No. 9: The Hardest Assignment of All
Perhaps the most critical and challenging task is finding a successor to the 15-goal striker Sam Dalby. While new signing Zac Sapsford arrives with a solid record from Australia’s A-League, the report suggests he is not a like-for-like replacement for Dalby and is more stylistically similar to Ruari Paton. The void is for a “‘traditional’, experienced No.9 – who can combine physicality with an eye for goal.” The Courier concludes that this is “the hardest assignment of the lot,” pointing out a fundamental truth of the market: “There’s nary a club in Scotland not looking for the same thing.”
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