ST MIRREN manager Jim Goodwin claims that football would benefit from the removal of the January transfer window, claiming that business done during this month benefits the clubs with the biggest budgets to the disadvantage of the rest.

He believes that the summer window, which lasts from June until September, is sufficient time for recruitment and being compelled to keep that squad for a year would increase stability, even though he would favour the retention of a loan window at the start of the year in case of emergencies.

“The January window only favours the big clubs or the clubs with money who can afford to go and buy players,” he said. “The free market where you have the free agents isn’t really a great market.

“If players are free in this window it means they haven’t been playing a great deal prior to now and you have the fitness issues we experienced in previous windows.

“We signed individuals who we thought were good players in the January window last season and the season before and, unfortunately, on a couple of occasions they weren’t fit.

“Inevitably, they break down in training because they aren’t used to training or playing. It’s a difficult window and I’d be in favour of not having it all. Unless you have money to go and buy players then it’s not really much use to any of us.

“The loan window is different: that’s obviously still beneficial to everybody and is probably a fairer playing ground for everyone.

“It’s difficult for clubs like ourselves, where we rarely buy players. I can’t remember the last time we paid a big transfer fee for anybody so it doesn’t benefit us a great deal.

"Indeed, it probably weakens us because when you have decent players you become open to bids, which is the situation with one or two of the lads at the moment.”

Goodwin believes that his midfielder Jamie McGrath, who becomes a free agent in June, has been affected by transfer rumours and he has left him out of the recent victories away to Dundee United and Ayr United.

“Jamie is still a very important player for us,” he said. “Everything that’s going on is pure speculation. Nothing is agreed with any club, Jamie hasn’t signed a pre-contract with anybody.

“Nobody has put an offer on the table that we feel reaches Jamie’s valuation,” he said.

“That was the conversation I had with Jamie this morning: let’s get back to business and get your head in the right place so you can focus on what’s most important right now in your career, which is playing football week in and week out.

“I told Jamie there are outside influences in his ear telling him this and that but it’s purely speculation. The most important thing is concentrating on the football because the move will come.

“He has an offer on the table from us and doesn’t have to worry about job security next year: if he stays here for the rest of the season Jamie will have half a dozen very good offers on the table in the summer.

“He’s far too good to be sitting in the stands: he needs to be playing. I don’t want things to end on a sour note with Jamie. I want him to leave here with everyone’s best wishes because he’s done great up to now.

“I need him in the right frame of mind. I can’t have anyone half-hearted on the pitch worrying they might pick up an injury that could scupper their chances of a move, whether it’s this window or the summer.”