European qualification 'would boost Dundee United’s transfer budget'

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin admits the success of their push for Europe will have a “huge” bearing on his summer transfer budget.

United will clinch a top-five place in the Premiership on Saturday and secure European football if they beat St Mirren at Tannadice.

However, two defeats since the split and St Mirren’s impressive form have given the Buddies the chance to cut the deficit to two points ahead of the final two matches of the campaign.

Goodwin said: “The season as a whole has been really positive but European football would be the icing on the cake.

“It’s something that a lot of the group haven’t done before.

“Financially, obviously, everybody knows the prize money can make a significant difference, especially when you are going into the summer transfer window.

“So, with regards to budgets, it would play a real key part.

“We are not there, we have never assumed for one moment that we were. We always knew it was going to be a fight right until the end and we are very much in it.

“The owner (Mark Ogren) is over next week and we will sit down and have a conversation with regards to what the recruitment strategy is going to be but we will have a clearer indication as to what that budget will be once we know exactly where we are going to be in the league.

“The European money is quite significant and that would make a huge difference in regards to the players we might be able to attract.”

Goodwin has already told experienced players such as Louis Moult and Declan Gallagher they will not get renewed contracts, while club captain Ross Docherty is still trying to convince the manager to keep him on after making an influential comeback from a spate of injuries.

But Glenn Middleton is in line for a new deal.

“I think Glenn has had a really good season,” Goodwin said. “He has been very consistent in the main.

“He knows my feelings about him, he has developed continuously over the past couple of seasons.

“He had injury issues three seasons ago where he couldn’t get a run in the team. But the last couple of years he has played pretty much all the games for me barring one or two where we have changed system a little bit.

“His goals contribution in terms of assists has been very productive and that’s what you look for from your forward players.

“He’s one I think has further development left in him.

“Hopefully we can sit down with Glenn and his representatives and get him to commit to Dundee United again next season.”