Derek Adams insists Ross County have received no offers for midfielder Yan Dhanda during the January transfer window.
Dhanda is out of contract in the summer, which has alerted a number of clubs both north and south of the border.
Premiership rivals Hearts have been credited with an interest in Dhanda, who netted a stunning free-kick when the sides shared a 2-2 draw at Tynecastle last month.
The Staggies will only allow Dhanda to depart this month if they receive an offer which meets their valuation, which it is believed the Jambos are reluctant to meet.
English League One side Wigan Athletic are also believed to be monitoring Dhanda’s situation.
Although Adams says the Staggies have a price for Dhanda, he insists the Dingwall club intend to keep hold of the 25-year-old – who has been a standout performer since joining from Swansea City in 2022.
That could mean the Staggies lose Dhanda for free in six months’ time, but when asked if he was resigned to the Englishman moving on in the summer, Adams said: “It depends on a multitude of things.
“In this window, we have had no offers for him at this moment in time.
“We want to keep him, and we will keep him in this transfer window unless someone pays money that we think is acceptable.
“From our point of view, he’s a player that I like watching in training and playing, and we want to keep him.”
Adams eager to add freshness to Staggies’ squad
Dhanda is a player Adams is eager to keep hold of until at least the end of the season, at a time when the Staggies boss is overseeing a reshuffle of his squad.
Adams has drafted in Cardiff City midfielder Eli King, Fulham goalkeeper George Wickens and Birmingham City teenager Brandon Khela on loan, and he is closing in on the signing of a fourth temporary signing.
Defender Ben Purrington has moved to Exeter City, while midfielders Ben Paton and Scott High have been allowed to move on. Kyle Turner has moved on loan to Raith Rovers, with Adam Mackinnon joining Arbroath on loan for the remainder of the campaign.
Adams, who hopes to finalise a further two loan additions next week, believes a freshening up of the Staggies’ squad was necessary during the January window.
He added: “It’s something I have always liked to do. I probably spoke about it recently – I like to have a freshness to the squad.
“I like to have people looking over their shoulder and looking to see what’s happening.
“Comfort is not a good thing, comfort makes things easy. I need to get people uncomfortable and pushing to stay in that team.”
Adams has strong recruitment team in place
Adams has installed a new scouting structure, with England-based Greg Strong in place as head of recruitment and Stuart Millar appointed chief scout in Scotland.
Having worked with both Strong and Millar at previous clubs, Adams is confident he will be able to home in on the best possible transfer targets.
The Staggies boss added: “I think it’s important to have a base in England, and Greg will provide that.
“We’ve got Stuart Millar who has come in and will give us a base in Scotland.
“As we further go on we will have a base somewhere else as well. You need to have people on the ground going to watch games.
“That’s where Greg and Stuart come in really well. It’s important we have that kind of structure at a Premiership club.
“I tell them what position I want, and what type of profile of player I want, and usually when they tell me someone is a certain profile they quite quickly get told he’s not for me.
“That is the way it is – and it has worked well for us in the past.
“I listen to them, and if they do say there is somebody special I will go and watch them and make sure we get them.
“I took Greg to Plymouth and Morecambe, and I took Stuart to Bradford City with me.
“It’s really important I get them, and they get me. Them getting me is not always the easiest thing.
“Having two guys that know what type of player is needed to play in my type of team is really important.”
Conversation