It appears that Ross County may be ready to part ways with Simon Murray, once they have secured the signature of Cliftonville forward Ronan Hale.
It was reported on Monday that the Staggies have rebuffed bids from Scottish Premiership rivals Hibernian and Dundee for the 32-year-old marksman, who netted an impressive 23 goals across all competitions last season.
Murray's clinical finishing played a pivotal role in saving the Dingwall club from the drop, and his double strike in the Premiership play-off final triumph over Raith Rovers was particularly memorable.
However, it seems the Highlanders are now prepared to cash in on their talisman, with the capture of Hale from the Irish Premiership side Cliftonville seemingly taking priority.
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Murray wants to move closer to the central belt due to family reasons so a switch away, with one year left on his Ross County contract, may prove the best solution for both parties.
Dundee head coach, Tony Docherty, was asked about the transfer rumours linking Murray - who is from the area - with a return to Dens Park, but was quick to brand it as “speculation”.
He said: “Everybody knows Simon is a Dundee boy so people put two and two together but Simon is contracted to Ross County.
“He had a brilliant season last season so I can understand why people would come to that but I need to respect Simon is a Ross County player."
Ross County have today lost captain, Jack Baldwin, who has joined Northampton Town on a two-year contact.
A club statement read: "Ross County FC can confirm Jack Baldwin has joined Northampton Town for an undisclosed fee.
"Jack joined the Staggies in 2021 and has made 102 appearances for the club, scoring 5 times in the process. Jack also captained the club in the 23/24 season.
"Jack made clear his desire to move closer to family in England, which was a big factor in this move.
"We thank Jack for his service to the club and wish him the very best of luck for the next chapter of his career."
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While Northampton Town manager, Jon Brady commented: "Jack is a real leader, an organiser and someone we are delighted to welcome to the club.
"He is a brave defender, someone who wins his fair share of tackles and blocks but he can play too.
"He is a good age, with a good pedigree and a lot of experience, playing at a number of different levels and both in England and Scotland.
"Jack will come in and be part of a good group of central defenders in the squad and we are very pleased to welcome him to Sixfields."
