Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin has confirmed the club’s summer transfer activity is far from over, with more recruits expected before the new season begins.
Goodwin has already brought eight new faces to Tannadice this summer, with midfielder Dylan Tait arriving from Falkirk among the notable additions.
The United boss described Tait as arguably one of Falkirk’s best players and revealed the club had to fend off significant competition to secure his signature.
Goodwin said: “We had to fight hard to get Dylan because we had a lot of teams who were wanting to get him.”
New signing Jesse Randall, who featured in World Cup action with New Zealand, is expected to report to the club this weekend after being given time to recover.
Goodwin explained: “He has needed a break. We hope to have him in over the weekend.”
The manager is confident Randall will not take long to reach full match fitness, pointing to his physical condition following the tournament.
Goodwin added: “He is a fit boy and it has been a relatively short break since the World Cup, so he should be in relatively good shape.”
United open their Premier Sports Cup campaign on Saturday night away to Stirling Albion, with Montrose, Arbroath, and The Spartans also in their group.
Goodwin is well aware that top-flight clubs are expected to navigate the competition without dropping points against lower-league opposition.
He said: “The competition is one where the Premiership teams are expected to manage properly, albeit over recent seasons we have seen plenty of upsets along the way.”
The United manager is equally focused on avoiding the injury problems that hampered the club during the early stages of last season’s campaign.
He stated: “We also need to make sure we come through it without injuries to give ourselves the best chance of starting the league campaign on a positive note.”
Goodwin confirmed that the arrival of Idjessi Metsoko now gives the team three strong attacking wide options alongside Sapsford and Lachy Rose.
Despite the busy recruitment window, the manager stressed that further business in the wide attacking areas remains a priority before the transfer window closes.
He said: “We’ve made some good signings in key areas. We are still nowhere near finished. We need to add more at the top end of the pitch, particularly in the wide areas.”
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