Tommy Wright is planning for next season without his captain, after the Perth club withdrew their latest contract offer to Joe Shaughnessy.
Aberdeen have cooled their interest in their former player and the ball is now in the Irishman’s court to bring either club back to the negotiating table.
Wright hasn’t ruled out that happening at McDiarmid Park.
“I believe that their interest is gone,” he said of the Aberdeen situation on the Saints website.
“We’ve been trying since November to work with Joe’s representative to get him to re-sign. We’ve offered a number of deals, going back to him with better deals – good deals which I thought would have been enough. But it doesn’t look like being the case.
“We have to plan for next year and we’ve had to draw a line under it this week as well. It’s disappointing but that’s football
“I have to plan in my head now as if Joe’s not signing. Our deal has expired. We can’t wait and wait and wait.
“I think the club have been more than patient.
“The door is never closed because I’ve been in this game a long time.
“But if it has to be re-opened it has to come from Joe’s representative. That’s the bottom line.
“If that’s the case, then things can change but at the minute I’m planning without Joe here this year.”
