Jackie McNamara goes window shopping with an eye for a bargain

With Dundee United debt-free following the sales of Ryan Gauld and Andrew Robertson last summer, McNamara is in the rare position of having some modest transfer funds at his disposal during this window and plans to use them to strengthen his attacking options.

Only last week, the Tannadice side clinched the signature of Arbroath striker Simon Murray for a fee of about 50,000. He will continue his development at the League Two leaders on loan until the end of the season, but the spending on the squad is unlikely to end there.

"If we see something, a bit like what we did with Charlie, then we can do that," McNamara said. "People say 'look what they paid', but for me that is a bargain. For me he was one of the best players in the Rangers academy and the boy is a talent. We ended up paying more to Queen's Park for Andy Robertson than we did to Rangers for Charlie."

McNamara, whose side take on their surprise fellow European contenders Hamilton Accies tomorrow night, is hardly a stranger to transfer intrigue at this time of year.

Twelve months ago, it was the likes of Gauld, Robertson and Gavin Gunning, all of whom remained until the summer. Now it is the turn of Gary Mackay-Steven, linked last week with Sheffield United, Stuart Armstrong and Nadir Ciftci, both of whom have been mentioned in dispatches with Celtic.

"For me, I am hoping it is more in than out," McNamara said. "That is me coming up to two years here now and every window has been the same.

"The same questions, just different players. It is something I obviously have to live with and is something that is testament to the kind of players I have here."

United would dearly love to add the same defensive parsimony currently being exhibited by Aberdeen to the attacking flair which has made United the SPFL Premiership's top scorers.

Robertson's replacement in the left-back role, Conor Townsend, who is on loan from the Scotland international's club Hull City, hinted last night that his move to Tannadice could be made a permanent one.

"I don't know what's going to come up, but I'll never say no," Townsend said. "The gaffer spoke earlier in the season about me maybe being able to stay and it's something I'd be open to.

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Jackie McNamara goes window shopping with an eye for a bargain