CALLUM DAVIDSON has revealed that St Johnstone have offered striker Guy Melamed a “very good contract” to extend his stay in Perth.
The Israeli frontman moved to McDiarmid Park last summer and following a difficult start to life in Scotland due to the pandemic, he has now bagged seven goals in 14 starts.
Melamed has become a fan favourite amongst the Perth support, despite not even having played a minute in front of them and Davidson has told how he would love to have the 28-year-old in his ranks next season.
“We’ve offered him a very good contract and his agent just wants to wait and see,” he said. “That’s all we can do. We can’t offer money that’s not there for somebody.
“We have a budget, it’s been a difficult time with Covid and we’ve offered him a really good deal. The agent has said he’ll wait and see and that’s where we are.
“Obviously we can’t be paying out ridiculous money – that’s not what St Johnstone does and we can’t afford it. But there are other players out there that we’ll find and have a look at in case he doesn’t stay.”
He continued: “Would we like him to stay? The answer is yes but we might be out priced. The fact he’s done so well has probably not helped our cause.
“He’s performed and scored goals at really important times this season. It’s a tough one. I knew when he came in that we might only get a year out of him. The one thing none of us knew the extent of was Covid.
“He didn’t get a pre-season and he missed a lot of football and it took him a long time to adapt to the Scottish league. I still think there’s more to come from Guy if he has a pre-season with us.
“It’s probably out of our hands at the moment.”
Callum Booth and Stevie May both signed contract extensions with Saints this week and Davidson hopes more of his current crop will sign on the dotted line ahead of this Saturday’s game against Hibernian.
He explained: “I’m pleased with the progress. We’re working at it. I did say it would take patience and we’re trying really hard to get the right deals done.
“Hopefully we’ll have two or three more by the end of this week as well and then we can look forward to building a squad for next season.”
A standout for Saints this term has been Ali McCann. The Northern Irishman has broken into his national team as well as being a key figure in the St Johnstone midfield.
Davidson expects offers to come in for McCann this summer but he is still holding out hope that he opts to play his football at McDiarmid Park for a further year.
He stressed: “I think other players have also played to his level. If I didn’t get interest in them, I would be disappointed for the players because of how well we have done.
“But hopefully we won’t lose too many. This is Ali’s first full season. He might move on quickly. It is just about making the right decision for the player himself and for the club if bids do come in.
“It would be good to see him get some recognition but for selfish reasons I would like to keep him. Sometimes you get an offer for a player you can't turn down and it is a no-brainer.
“We will cross that bridge when we come to it. Hopefully the players can concentrate on the games ahead and try to achieve another bit of history for St Johnstone.”
Saints are still battling it out with Livingston for fifth place in the Scottish Premiership and they also have the small matter of a Scottish Cup semi-final against St Mirren to look forward to next month.
Figures released this week indicated that the winner of the tournament will receive a minimum windfall of £3million due to their involvement in European football with UEFA introducing the conference league from next season.
Davidson admits this news adds an extra motivation for clubs remaining in the competition. He smiled: “I have been told what the cup winners get and that adds a little bit of incentive for the four clubs left in it.
“Probably the chairmen will be rubbing their hands at the thought of getting to the final. For the players it is more about trying to achieve something in your career and winning a trophy.
“I don’t think the players will give much consideration to what comes after and the European games. We will take it obviously but right now it is about getting through to the next round and get to the final.”
On the threat of Jack Ross’ Hibs this weekend, Davidson added: “It is probably good to have avoided back-to-back games, although it worked out ok with Rangers.
“Sometimes you can give too much away. Hibs are a fantastic team who have had an unbelievable season, sitting in third position.
“They have threats all over the pitch. Hibs are probably looking towards the semi-final too but it will be an interesting game.”
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