Caley Thistle manager Terry Butcher has confirmed his pursuit of Raith Rovers attacker Gregory Tade and after right back Kevin McCann returned to Hibs after a six-month loan the former England captain also confirmed leading scorer Adam Rooney has spoken to Hibs.
Former Ireland under-21 attacker Rooney has already been the subject of a £100,000 bid from Russian club Kuban Krasnodar and others, including Swiss side Young Boys of Berne and English League 1 club Huddersfield, are also interested in the Dublin-born forward.
Butcher has already earmarked 24-year-old Frenchman Tade as a replacement if Rooney decides to leave the Highland club.
He said: “We have spoken to Gregory’s agent as he is out of contract at the end of the season. He is a player who did well against us last year and one we like.
“That is as far as it has gone. We have talked to other agents about players as well.
“There are a few players we would like to bring here but Gregory is doing well at Raith Rovers.
“We would like to bring one in as Kevin McCann has gone back to Hibs as he needs a longer period of rehabilitation for his knee injury. If it was only a matter of a few days we would have taken the gamble to sign him.
“It looks as though it is going to be six to eight weeks and we are looking to bring in someone to replace Kevin.
“We only have 23 players, with three goalkeepers, and we still have injuries to two or three players which brings it down even more.”
Butcher is braced for further offers for Rooney.
He added: “I am not really into pre-contracts but, although nothing has happened with Adam, you have to make preparations and plans just in case something does.
“If there is to be a 10-team league in the future we have to start looking at our situation very closely now.
“Adam has talked to Hibs and there have been one or two inquiries but no one has actually made a bid or followed it up.
“Adam can sign a pre-contract with anyone but, as far as we are concerned, there has been no other club anywhere near close to speaking to him with regards to a pre-contract.
“I think Hibs were talking about not so much a pre-contract but getting him at the end of the season.
“I am not anticipating much happening between now and this weekend.”