Benji Kimpioka has decided to stay with St Johnstone until the summer.
And manager, Simo Valakari, is hoping that closing the door on a mid-season move away from McDiarmid Park will help get his star striker back to the sort of form that caught the eye of several suitors.
Widzew Lodz were the latest club to make a bid that Saints accepted.
But, as was the case with prospective transfers to the top leagues in the Netherlands and Belgium, a move to Poland proved not to be to the former Sunderland forward’s liking.
Now the task in front of Kimpioka is earning his place back in the Perth team – and meaningfully contributing to their Premiership survival battle.
“Benji has been training and has been training hard,” said Valakari.
“He will stay with us now.
“He has had offers, but they were not what he was looking for. So I can’t see there being anything now.
“He has always been in my thinking, but he has to earn his place back.
“Everything that has been going on, it affects each other. It’s not about attitude. It’s just things around the window affecting his performance.
“But he’s here so it’s up to him to get back in.
“We want Benji back and playing the way he was before because he’s a special player who has a bit of an X-factor.
“We need goals. So, of course, if we get him back to what he was he will help us.
“There has only been interest in him because of what he can do.
“We want Benji back to the form he was in before because that will help everyone.”
County transformed
Kimpioka scored twice when Saints beat Ross County 3-0 after Valakari took over from Craig Levein.
There’s an 11-point gap between the sides now, though, making the Highlanders all but safe from the threat of finishing bottom of the table.
“We have improved but County are a different team now as well,” said Valakari.
“They have been very good, and I think they will be looking at the top six now.
“They are a dangerous team and will come here believing all the pressure is on us, so be hard to beat and then they will try to sneak chances.
“County have been going in a positive direction for a while now.”
Saints are likely to be without Victor Griffith again, while Valakari has a decision to make over starting veterans like Barry Douglas and Graham Carey twice in four days.
“It will be touch and go for Victor,” said the Finn. “He trained today but it was very light.
“It will be more likely for Saturday than the Ross County game.
“We will obviously be thinking of three games in one week. You have to consider that.
“Graham, for example, wants to play every minute of every game and he’s an important player for us.
“He opens doors, creates chances. But, as the coach, I will have to decide if he’s better on the pitch from the start or coming off the bench to make a difference.
“It’s about finding that balance.”
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