Dundee United top scorer Louis Moult, defensive rock Kevin Holt and the reborn Scott McMann are among a swathe of Tannadice stars who are out of contract this summer.
Fourteen established senior players are now free to speak to other clubs, with Tangerines boss Jim Goodwin making it clear than no new deals will be on the table until the club know what division they will be in next season.
Goodwin stated: “We’ve not made any decisions on anyone. And we won’t be. There will be no business getting done early. Those conversations will just have to wait, and the players are understanding of the situation.”
Here, Courier Sport runs down the players vying for their futures in the coming months.
While some promising youngsters such as Miller Thomson, Craig Moore, Lewis O’Donnell and Layton Bisland are out of contract in the summer, this focuses on more established first-team players.
Goalkeepers
Mark Birighitti
Goodwin has already made it clear that Birighitti – currently on a seven-day loan with Premiership side Kilmarnock – is available to leave the club this month.
The Australia international endured a miserable debut campaign in Scottish football last term, peppered with high-profile errors and ropey showings as United crashed to relegation.
Tentative interest from Bolton Wanderers and a more concrete approach from Hapoel Petach-Tivka fell through last summer.
Even if the two-time A-League goalkeeper of the year remains on the books beyond January, his time at Tannadice will certainly come to an end in June.
Defenders
Kieran Freeman
Academy graduate Freeman has found first-team opportunities scarce.
Liam Grimshaw has cemented the right-back position, leaving the 23-year-old a perennial substitute. He has played just seven times this term, with his last outing coming against Inverness on November 4.
Ross Graham
Barring a poor performance in a 4-2 SPFL Trust Trophy defeat at Falkirk – and he was far from alone in a dismal team showing – the Scotland U21 internationalist has barely put a foot wrong.
Patience has been a virtue for the Blairgowrie boy, given the outstanding defensive partnership of Declan Gallagher and Kevin Holt.
However, Gallagher’s persistent groin complaint – for which he has undergone surgery – has afforded Graham the chance to play 14 times this term.
And despite being asked to play as a right-sided centre-back, the left-footed Graham has deputised admirably.
Kevin Holt
An unexpected goal machine, a key cog in a fearsome defensive unit and boasting a durability that has seen him play all-but one of United’s games this term.
A compelling case can be made that Holt is the Tangerines’ signing of the season.
🎩 Who knew Kevin Holt had this in his locker?
The defender returned to haunt his old side with a Firhill hat-trick #cinchChamp | @dundeeunitedfc pic.twitter.com/ZKvlYIDXWn
— SPFL (@spfl) October 23, 2023
As such, despite penning a one-year deal last summer, the former Dundee and Partick Thistle man looks a solid bet to be kept on, especially after Goodwin suggested he could potentially “stroll it” in the top-flight.
Holt has scored eight goals and helped United to 15 clean sheets in his 27 outings.
Scott McMann
Dundee United’s Mr. Consistency this season.
McMann has bounced back from a disappointing 2022/23 campaign – perhaps boosted by ditching No.3 on his back in favour of No.33 – to become a mainstay of Goodwin’s side.
The tireless full-back has built an excellent relationship with Glenn Middleton on the left flank and has also contributed a couple of rare goals to the Tannadice cause.
With 208 Premiership appearances under his belt, there is little doubt that McMann – now with renewed confidence – would do a job in the top-flight, if United go up and his contract is renewed.
Midfielders
Logan Chalmers
Chalmers will see out the remainder of the campaign on loan at Ayr United, for whom he has notched an impressive six goals and three assists.
2⃣ goals, 1⃣ assist
Logan Chalmers put in a performance to remember on the Hampden turf on Friday evening ✨
Is he the Honest Men's key player right now?#cinchChamp | @AyrUnitedFC pic.twitter.com/8fYbbaNAv4
— SPFL (@spfl) September 27, 2023
Chalmers has racked up 41 senior appearances for the Tangerines but has never managed to nail down a starting berth, instead enjoying his best spells with the likes of Ayr and Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Declan Glass
The classy playmaker enjoyed his longest EVER streak of starts for United earlier this term, lining up in seven successive fixtures.
However, a minor injury saw Glass slip out of the squad for the Tangerines’ 5-0 win over Partick Thistle in October and, despite making 11 appearances since then, they have largely been as a substitute.
His only two starts since October were in the disappointing SPFL Trust Trophy and Scottish Cup exits against Falkirk and Queen of the South.
Archie Meekison
A young player with excellent technique, intelligence and bags of potential.
However, the entirety of 2023 was effectively wiped out by a series of injury setbacks, most recently suffering a tear to his lateral collateral ligament in his knee.
His return against Inverness this month was a cathartic one, and he played a part in the decisive strike, winning a header in midfield in the build-up to Middleton’s goal.
While a hackneyed cliché, the availability of the Scotland U21 international will be akin to a new signing for Goodwin and there is no reason Meekison cannot make his mark in the second half of the campaign and secure his future.
Chris Mochrie
Having made his United debut aged 16 in May 2019 – the club’s youngest EVER player at that point – Mochrie feels like he has been around for a considerable time.
However, he is still just 20 years of age and has undeniably contributed to their title push.
Fresh from helping Dunfermline to the League One title on loan last term, Mochrie’s last gasp strikes against Inverness and the Pars were worth four points to the Tangerines.
Late scenes in the Highlands 😱
Chris Mochrie squeezing one home in added time to send 10-man United top of the table! 📈#cinchChamp | @dundeeunitedfc pic.twitter.com/8wYE15Kvlx
— SPFL (@spfl) September 25, 2023
While yet to cement his place as a regular starter, he has made 21 appearances this term and his progress has been steady.
Craig Sibbald
The former Falkirk and Livingston has an appearance-based extension written into his existing deal and, given he is one of the first names on Goodwin’s team-sheet, he will almost certainly trigger that.
And that is a major positive for the Tangerines, given Sibbald was among a select group of players to attain pass marks during the club’s descent to relegation last term, and he has been superb this season.
David Wotherspoon
The Canada international has signed a contract until the end of the season following a splendid spell in the Highlands with Inverness, notching three goals and two assists in 11 games.
Wotherspoon will bring additional guile and goal threat to United’s central attacking midfield area, potentially lessening their reliance on wingers Kai Fotheringham and Middleton.
Although only a short-term contract, Goodwin has challenged the St Johnstone legend to showcase his undoubted quality and – should the Terrors win promotion – earn another crack at the Premiership.
Attackers
Sadat Anaku
The Ugandan attacker has made 16 appearances for United since joining in 2022 – only two of those in the starting line-up – with his most memorable moment a gilt-edged miss against Livingston at the tail-end of last season.
Anaku has spent nine months sidelined with a devastating achilles injury and was recently referred to a specialist amid his battle to regain full fitness.
Mathew Cudjoe
Cudjoe enjoyed a blistering start to the season and his record of four goals and four assists in 21 outings stands up to scrutiny.
🍰 @CudjoeAnim putting the cherry on the cake #UTDARB | #cinchChamp | #DUFC pic.twitter.com/7cedAQXGLX
— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) October 28, 2023
However, a red card against Morton in September and subsequent dead leg saw him surrender his starting place – and Kai Fotheringham has not looked back.
Courier Sport understands Cudjoe has grown increasingly frustrated by a lack of minutes and what seemed like a certainly a few months ago – a new deal – now appears altogether less assured.
Louis Moult
Moult’s quality was never in doubt.
However, he has answered any lingering questions regarding his fitness.
The former Motherwell hero has played 23 times this season – more than the previous two campaigns combined – and has rippled the net 11 times.
Even when enduring a relatively barren spell, by his own standards, Moult was an excellent focal point and key to bringing the likes of Tony Watt, Middleton and Fotheringham into the game.
Following serious knee and ankle complaints, Moult is now in fine fettle and, should United win promotion and he wish to remain at Tannadice, has a proven record at Premiership level.
Expiring loans
Jack Walton
Walton has enjoyed an outstanding campaign with the Tangerines.
Following the goalkeeping travails endured by Birighitti and Carljohan Eriksson last season, the on-loan Luton Town man has displayed composure and quality between the sticks.
Jordan Tillson
Tillson has become an increasingly important part of the United side following the frustrating fitness issues being endured by Ross Docherty.
A September arrival from Ross County, Tillson will see out the campaign at Tannadice after Staggies opted not to recall the combative midfielder.
Alex Greive
Greive became United’s first arrival of the January window when he penned a loan deal prior to the recent trip to Inverness.
He was pitched into the starting line-up for an immediate debut against the Caley Jags, running himself into the ground in attack before being replaced after 67 minutes.
The New Zealand international will provide welcome pace and mobility to United’s attacking options. He is out of contract at parent club St Mirren in June.
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