Dundee will have a fight on their hands to secure number one target Jack Ross as their next manager.
The St Mirren boss, who is currently on a family holiday, is very happy at Paisley after putting down foundations for the rebuilding job needed there with last season’s relegation escape act.
However, the Dark Blues are determined to get the chance to persuade him to swap the Championship for the Premiership and Courier Sport understands that Dundee chief executive John Nelms has offered to fly abroad to speak with Ross face to face.
Saints are not in a strong position to rebuff the Dens Park club as the compensation fee they would have to meet is a little as £15,000.
Ultimately, it will come down to whether Ross wants to make the move rather than whether Dundee can afford to push it through.
Aside from the football challenge that could attract the former Alloa manager, who was a youth player at Dens, there is the prospect of trebling his wages.
The last thing Dundee will want is for the pursuit of Neil McCann’s successor to drag on, and for them to have to go further down their shortlist, with a summer of big squad changes expected for whoever takes over.