Jake Mulraney’s move from Hearts to Frank de Boer’s Atlanta City has landed Caley Thistle a welcome cash windfall.
The Highlanders inserted a 15 per cent sell-on clause for the Dubliner as they agreed a swap deal with the Tynecastle club for Angus Beith in May 2018.
It is not known exactly how much the American MLS outfit forked out for 23-year-old Mulraney, but it is understood Hearts received a six-figure fee, with Caley Thistle gleaning a healthy five-figure sum.
Caley Thistle manager John Robertson would only say the share of fee winging its way to the Caledonian Stadium was “very significant”, given the Championship club’s difficult financial situation.
Robertson lost defensive partnership Coll Donaldson and Jamie McCart to Ross County and St Johnstone respectively for undisclosed cash sums in the January sales.
Like McCart, right-back Shaun Rooney has signed a pre-contract agreement to join Saints this summer.
But Robertson insisted there was “no chance” of Rooney following Donaldson and McCart out of the door before the January transfer window closes tonight
Robertson said: “We won’t lose Shaun Rooney [this month] – we definitely won’t.
“There is no chance of it happening. Nobody else from our squad will go, from now on.
“We can’t stop players signing pre-contract agreements, but we were always adamant nobody would be leaving the club in the last week of the transfer window.
“Jamie McCart’s situation had been ongoing for a while, with the clubs bouncing back and forth the final fee.
“The club has cleared well over six figures [in fees for players during the January window] which, for a Championship club like ours, is massive and positive.
“It shows in terms of bringing in and developing players, making them better – and being rewarded for it – we’re doing a good job.
“The further good news is we are about to receive a very significant amount of money we had for the sell-on clause for Jake Mulraney.”
Caley Thistle, meanwhile, have recalled left-back Cameron Harper to bolster their pilfered defence, following the promising 18-year-old’s month-long loan with Elgin City.
Robertson remains keen to strengthen his squad, but suggested the club could move for free agents after the transfer window closes.
He said: “At this moment in time, we’re quite tight for numbers. We can’t carry too many injuries. We’re still looking to add one or two free agent players to bolster the squad.
“Ideally, it would be somebody who is better than what we have but this is a difficult time of the year to achieve that. It may be that we bring in someone less experienced, but who is capable of providing good cover if and when we need them.
“The reason we sent Cameron out for the initial month was to get him playing games so that he was match ready when he came back. He has played three games in three weeks with Elgin, which is great for his fitness and sharpness.
“We’ve always said, if Carl Tremarco is injured, we’ve absolutely no problem at all in playing young Cammy.”
Meanwhile, Caley Thistle will travel to play Dunfermline in the Championship on Tuesday February 25, given a fixture clash with the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Cup semi-finals on Saturday February 15.
They will also face Queen of the South at home on Tuesday March 10 after the January 11 league fixture was postponed.
