DUNDEE UNITED striker Lawrence Shankland will ot be sold in the January transfer window, insists Tannadice sporting director Tony Ashgar.
Shankland has been in superb goalscoring form for the Tayside club this season, scoring 13 goals in eight Championship games so far this season.
The 24-year-old's form caught the eye of national team manager Steve Clarke, who handed Shankland his international debut against Russia last week - and the forward scored his first Scotland goal against San MArino a few days later.
But Ashgar is insistent that Shankland is not for sale when the transfer window reopens i January.
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He said: "I don’t think there’s any price you could name for us to sell Lawrence Shankland and then not give ourselves the best chance of promotion.
"The owners were clear when Lawrence arrived in the summer. He’s a key part of what we are trying to do, so I don’t expect any chats like this come January.
"This club has a history of selling players at the wrong time, but Lawrence has committed to us for three years. The owners have invested a lot of money. They are craving success. If you weigh a transfer fee up against success on the pitch, they will take success every time.
"My job is to get the best value for the club – and the best value for the club is to get promotion over and above any money from a transfer fee. I’m sure Lawrence would say the same thing. He’s a great boy. Other clubs had a chance to take him six months ago and never took it — he understands that.
“He’s committed to the cause here. By seeing the coaching staff all signing new deals now, it will show him we’re all in this for the long term. Some clubs can find themselves in the position where they have to sell their top assets, but we are not in that position."
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