Ross County manager Jim McIntyre says finishing seventh in the Premiership could provide him with the funding needed to lure an additional two players to Dingwall this summer.
The Staggies missed out on a top-six finish this season but are now a point clear in seventh place with three games remaining, starting with tomorrow’s match against Dundee at Dens Park.
County would gain an extra £52,750 in prize money from the SPFL if they were to maintain their current position compared with finishing eighth, and McIntyre says his team’s end to this season will go some way towards determining his recruitment budget for next term.
McIntyre said: “It’s very important. It’s the difference of an extra player or two. That’s how significant it is.
“We want to have as strong a squad as we possibly can. We’ve got good players here under contract and we want to strengthen that in the summer as well.
“The boys have been keen to commit and we’ve been keen to get the deals done. I’m sure one or two others will follow but the most important thing is to get this next week settled first.
“We want to try and achieve our goal of getting that seventh spot so the concentration, for the next week, has got to be all on the games. Contracts will take care of themselves.”
Although County are all but clear of the relegation play-off positon, with the Highlanders seven points clear of Hamilton Accies and Motherwell who face each other tomorrow, McIntyre will not allow his players to slacken against sides still trying to escape the relegation mire.
He added: “We were that team a couple of seasons back, when we first came here and needed to put some run together to get out of it. Momentum’s a great thing in football.
“Players tend to do things naturally rather than over think it when confidence levels are better.
“We know we’re going to be facing three really tough games starting with Dundee. We are not safe until it is mathematically impossible.
“If Hamilton or Motherwell win them, obviously, we are safe but our focus has to be to fight for that seventh place.”
