DUNDEE UNITED and Raith Rovers will continue talks over a compensation settlement today after the Tannadice club formalised their interest in making Ray McKinnon their new manager. The two-time United player had been installed as the immediate favourite to succeed Mixu Paatelainen after the Finn was sacked earlier in the week, and with Raith no longer in promotion contention following their playoff defeat, McKinnon is expected to make the move from Stark’s Park in the coming days. United, however, will need to first agree a compensation fee with the Raith board after their initial offer was rejected. McKinnon, who only became a full-time manager for the first time last summer, still has another year left on his existing contract.

United put out a short statement this evening confirming their interest. It read: “Dundee United have made an official approach to Raith Rovers to seek permission to speak to their manager Ray McKinnon about the vacant managerial position at Tannadice Park.”

In turn, Raith put out a statement of their own saying permission had yet to be granted. “Dundee United FC has this evening published a statement on its website to the effect that an official approach has been made for permission to speak to Ray McKinnon about a position at Tannadice. Permission has not been granted.”

Earlier in the day, following Raith’s aggregate 2-1 playoff defeat to Hibernian, McKinnon had been remaining coy about his prospects of making the switch to his former club.

“I have another year at Raith,” he said. “So it’s home, reflect on what’s gone on today and just chill out for a bit and see what happens. I honestly couldn’t say [whether there would be an approach from United]. I’m not in control of that so as it stands I’m the Raith Rovers manager. I know it’s a cliché but that’s the truth.”