David Martindale reckons giant Dominican defender Luiyi de Lucas fits the bill for Livingston as he prepares for life without Jack Fitzwater.
De Lucas, 28, featured in Tuesday’s friendly draw with QPR and is heading to Turkey with the Lions this morning for a week-long mid-season training camp. Fitzwater is out of contract at the end of the season and Martindale expects interest to ramp up in January with a six-figure price tag on the Englishman’s head.
And the Livi boss is leaving nothing to chance ahead of the transfer window as he looks at potential replacements with 6ft4in De Lucas in line for another run out against Latvians FK Liepaja in Antalya on Monday after his contract ran out at FC Haka in Finland. Martindale said: “Luiyi was with us last year and I was going to have a nibble then but I was fairly strong in that department.
“He went to FC Haka, played more than 30 games there and did really well. I like what I see from him. Jack is coming out of contract so it’s an area I’m looking to strengthen if offers come in.
“Luiyi is strong, aggressive, he covers the ground really well and his use of the ball is decent. He would benefit us in both boxes and I think he would suit the physical Scottish game as he loves a tackle and a header.
“I like defenders who defend, but he can play a bit as well. I can work on that side of the game to polish a few things. He has all the attributes that tick a box that says he has a chance of playing for me.”
Fitzwater was linked with Burnley earlier in the year after two impressive seasons in West Lothian. Martindale isn’t giving up hope of holding onto the 25-year-old and warned potential suitors he won’t be sold for anything less than six figures next month.
He said: “I’m not resigned to losing Jack in January. There was an offer for him in the summer and it was high five-figures but I wasn’t letting him go for that amount of money.
“It is the same in January, he won’t be allowed to go on the cheap - especially not to a rival. I’m not in the business of developing players and letting them leave for nothing, but I won’t let them go six months early and it negatively affects the squad. It has to be right for both parties but I am willing to listen to offers for Jack.”
Fitzwater is a key man for Livi and Martindale won’t entertain anything less than six-figures for the former Walsall defender who has made 89 appearances in two-and-a-half years.
He said: “You need to find the balance in situations like Jack. If I can keep him in the building and he could potentially get us three more points that gets us higher up the table then the fee we would get in January is covered.
“We won’t look at anything less than six figures and I thought the five figure sum we were offered for Jack was a bit disrespectful. He has played in the Premiership for two-and-a-half years and last season he was fantastic.
“He has played a lot of games and he is an accomplished centre-half. You see clubs bringing in people from down south and paying big money for them, and they might do well in Scotland. Surely, you could look at players who are playing in this league and doing well.”
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