Jim Goodwin has confirmed that Richard Odada is the subject of interest from Europe as the midfielder weighs up his immediate future.
Odada, 24, has endured an uninspiring maiden campaign in Scottish football, making just 13 appearances (totalling 298 minutes) and visibly struggling to adapt to the pace of the British game.
He has slipped further down the pecking order following the January arrivals of Allan Campbell and Lewis Fiorini, allied with the impending return of long-term injury absentee Craig Sibbald following groin surgery.
And despite the UK transfer windows being shut, Odada still has options in the Scottish Championship and the continent. Courier Sport understands those include Serbia, where he has previously turned out for Red Star Belgrade and Graficar Beograd.
However, United boss Goodwin has no intention of forcing him towards the exit door and maintains that Odada – who is contracted to the Tannadice outfit until 2026 – can still have a bright future in tangerine.
Goodwin: Odada needs to get up to speed
“We have had a bit of interest in Richard from Europe,” confirmed Goodwin. “It needs to be right for everyone – he needs to want to do it, and the rest needs to balance out.
“He’s been training and doing well. He’s a player we still have high hopes for. In terms of his profile, he ticks a lot of the boxes for a midfielder in the modern-day game. He has good energy and the physical aspects you need.
“He’s just struggled to get up to the speed of the game here, so far. That’s why I feel a loan would be good for him.
“I wanted him to go, play games and come back ready to kick-start things in the summer. But if he doesn’t go, it’s not an issue. If he stays, we have a good player on our hands.”
Sibbald nearing return
Meanwhile, Sibbald is expected to resume full training next week.
The combative midfielder underwent surgery to cure a “significant” groin injury in October and is now on the final straight of his long road to recovery.
“With Sibbs, we’re confident – providing everything goes smoothly with him – that he’ll be able to join in with the rest of the group next week,” said Goodwin.
“We’ll do some closed doors stuff with him and see where we can get him to, but we’ll have to be patient. He’s been out of the team for a long time, and we’ll have to get a lot of fitness work into him.”
But Goodwin has no doubt he’ll prove worth the wait.
“Getting him back will be great,” he added. “Sibbs was last season’s Player of the Year and someone we know can play to a high level. I’m really looking forward to having him available before too long.”
Skipper Ross Docherty has also taken part in training this week, with Goodwin noting: “We’re building him up gradually.”
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