Dunfermline Athletic manager John Potter has maintained that any new faces must be the right fit for the club after revealing that two former loanees will not be coming back to East End Park.
Potter confirmed approaches have been made for Dundee United striker Jordan Moore and Aberdeen forward Lawrence Shankland both of whom were on loan with varying degrees of success last term – to bolster the club’s promotion push, but neither are expected to come to any fruition.
That has not deterred Potter in his search for reinforcements, although he told Courier Sport yesterday that he will not be rushed into signing players just for the sake of it.
“We had Jordan in for a day or two but we decided between us that it just wasn’t right,” he explained.
“And we had asked about Shankland’s availability a while ago and I know Lawrence himself, from the time that he was here, and I still keep in touch with him.
“But he’s obviously in and around the first team at Aberdeen and he’s not moving anywhere.
“That’s their prerogative.
“So these were just general enquiries that I had about boys that I knew of, but we’ve spoken about another couple and I would rather wait on the ones that I want rather than go and sign players I’ve been offered.
“I’ve been offered literally hundreds of players in the last few days, but I wouldn’t sign players just for the sake of it.
“I’d rather sign the ones I want and if that means me waiting a week or two then I’ll do that.
“It’s just a case of getting something definite on those.
“It’s new for me this, and it would have been quite easy for me to go and sign three players on the first day.
“Guys that I knew, and guys that might have come in and did all right, but I’ve put enquiries in about guys that I like and it’s just a case of waiting and seeing.
“We’ve had some quite positive feedback and things will happen, but I won’t do it for the wrong reasons I want people to come in and improve the team.”
Potter confirmed that talks were ongoing with Dundee United about possibly taking 19-year-old midfielder Darren Petrie on loan until the end of the season, although there was nothing concrete on that link yesterday.
“He’s a guy that I know and that I’ve watched, and he’s on my radar in terms of someone who I think could maybe do a job for us,” Potter admitted.
“There’s nothing definite there but he’s one that we’ve thought about.”
One player on his way out of East End Park is 20-year-old defender Ross Drummond, who has been on loan with League Two side Berwick since the start of November.
That move is set to be made permanent over the next few days, and Potter reckons it will be a good switch for a player who he has helped coached through the youth ranks.
He continued: “I’ve had a chat with him and he could have come back and tried to get involved, but I just think he needs to go and start playing.
“I explained to him that I did it myself when I was his age.
“I was in and out but I had to go away and play, and start a career for myself.
“He’s done that and he’s got a wee taste for it.
“I just think it’s the right thing for him to go there and start afresh.
“Berwick’s a good club and they’ve got a good manager.
“They are doing well, he’s doing well, and hopefully he goes and starts a good career for himself.”
New signing Jim Paterson, who completed his move from Forfar earlier this week, has trained with his new team-mates and is in line for a debut against Stirling Albion tomorrow after settling in well.
“Jim has come in straight away and he’s been impressed, which is good,” Potter concluded.
“I think he was taken aback by the quickness of the training in the first day or two, but he’s really happy with our standard and he’s amazed at how good some of the players are boys that he didn’t really know.”