Ripe for the plucking . . . six SPL contenders to move on in January transfer window

Football Writer

Friday 28 December 2012

RYAN FRASER (Aberdeen).

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Graeme Macpherson

SCOTTISH football is full of stories of young, unproven talent who moved on too young and failed to make the expected impact. Such cautionary tales have done little to deter Ryan Fraser or his representatives. Fraser is still just 18 years old and has only just established himself in the Aberdeen team this season but already he has let the club know he has no plans to stay at Pittodrie beyond the end of his contract in May. Aberdeen may decide it more prudent to sell him now for a bigger fee rather than wait until the summer when they would only receive compensation. An exciting winger with undoubted potential, Celtic, Wigan Athletic and Swansea City have all been credited with an interest.

HENRIK OJAMAA (Motherwell). A FORWARD with only one goal to his name this season may not seem like a catch but such has been Henrik Ojamaa's influence at Motherwell then a queue of suitors seems likely. The Estonian only arrived at Fir Park last January but impressed so quickly that he was soon offered a longer-term deal that should at least ensure Motherwell receive a sizeable fee should the 21 year-old be enticed away next month. Manager Stuart McCall has admitted he may have to sell one player to help balance the books and Lech Poznan are thought to be ready to test his resolve with a bid for Ojamaa. KENNY McLEAN (St Mirren). DANNY LENNON may not have been entirely heartbroken at the news that Kenny McLean will miss the first few weeks of January with a knee injury. The St Mirren manager revealed recently there has been substantial interest shown in the Scotland under-21 midfielder who has flourished this season and chipped in with a number of eye-catching long-range goals. St Mirren's relatively healthy financial position means they won't be desperate to sell but the emergence of John McGinn and the return from injury of Paul McGowan means they have cover in midfield were McLean to move on. RYAN McGOWAN (Hearts). RYAN McGOWAN was hailed as a Hearts hero when he chose to stay at Tynecaslte and not follow team-mate David Templeton to Ibrox on the final day of the August transfer window. It may just have been delaying the inevitable. The Australian, who can play at full-back or in midfield, is again in the spotlight with clubs from England and Asia believed to be closely following his progress. Hearts' ongoing financial concerns mean they will likely need to streamline their wage bill in January to bring costs in line with revenue and McGowan may be one of the first out of the door. ANDREW SHINNIE (Inverness Caledonian Thistle). INVERNESS have been one of the surprise successes of the season and key to that has been the form of Andrew Shinnie. After failing to make the grade at Rangers, the midfielder has been reinvigorated in the Highlands, his displays earning him a Scotland call-up for the friendly against Luxembourg. Goalscoring midfielders are always likely to be in vogue and Shinnie's tally of 11 for the season marks him out as an exciting prospect. Inverness will want to hold on to him but bigger clubs may come calling for the 23 year-old. JAMIE MURPHY (Motherwell). IT seems barely a transfer window passes nowadays without Jamie Murphy being linked with a move away and it will be no different this time around. The forward, in his seventh season with Motherwell, turned down a move to Blackpool in August, while Sheffield United are thought to have offered around £100,000 to sign him next month. With Murphy out of contract in the summer, a move to Rangers on September 1 is also a possibility for the former Scotland under-21 player who can operate wide left or as a central striker.

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Ripe for the plucking . . . six SPL contenders to move on in January transfer window

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