Caley Thistle must play a waiting game in the transfer market – but the Championship club is closing in on summer targets.
After missing out promotion by losing the play-off final against St Johnstone last month, a clutch of new contracts have been handed out to current players.
This week, defender Wallace Duffy, midfielder Aaron Doran and forward Shane Sutherland signed new one-year contracts.
That came hot on the heels of captain Sean Welsh, keeper Cammy Mackay and defenders Danny Devine and Lewis Hyde kicking the month off with signing fresh contracts.
The key departures were experienced defender Kirk Broadfoot, and loan players Logan Chalmers, Reece McAlear and Joe Hardy.
Hardy has returned English to League 1 team Accrington Stanley, while McAlear, who was freed by relegated Premier League club Norwich City, has moved to English League 2 team Tranmere Rovers.
Chalmers return would be welcome
Inverness chief executive Scot Gardiner revealed forward Chalmers, who was on loan last term from Dundee United, would certainly be one they would love to have back.
However, he believes it is a balancing act for head coach Billy Dodds and his management team as they bid to bolster and improve the squad.
He said: “We were effectively running two parallel budgets – we had two plans. We had players we wanted to sign for the Premiership and players we wanted to sign for the Championship.
“A player might not come to us unless we’re in the Premiership, so there are all these factors. We’ve been speaking to targets for months, but a lot of it depended on what division we’re in.
“Myself, Billy and (sporting director) John Robertson have sat down and discussed it. We have now identified most of our targets.
“There will be dilemmas. There are players at some Premiership clubs we would like to come back to us, such as Logan Chalmers, but that is not within our gift.
“He’s back with Dundee United, who might say he’s going to now play for them, or they might want to put him somewhere else. They won’t make a decision on that, most likely, until late in August and that is then a problem for us.
“Do we wait? Do we keep some of the budget back? By August, you could be out of the Premier Sports Cup or through in the cup and be three of four games into the league season. There is a balance you have to strike.
“Billy is speaking to players and offers have been made to players.”
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