Once again, we have been linked with Dundee defender Luke Graham, with Alan Nixon reporting that Stoke City are now trying to outbid Rangers and us.
Graham was first linked with City back in February, before promotion had been confirmed, which does suggest we were already planning for the Championship earlier than some might have realised. That earlier report had a figure closer to £2 million, while the latest one suggests Stoke may now go as high as £1.5 million.
The 22-year-old centre-back came through Dundee’s academy and has since had loan spells with Lochee United, Albion Rovers, Montrose and Falkirk. Wikipedia currently lists him with 38 league appearances and two goals for Dundee, while he has also been capped by Scotland Under-21s.
The attraction is obvious enough. He is young, has proper senior football behind him, and would fit the sort of development profile we have liked in recent seasons. The problem is just as obvious: Stoke can offer more money, Rangers bring their own pull, and Graham is not some hidden gem nobody else has noticed.
Still, it says plenty that we are even being mentioned in this sort of race. Whether we can actually win it is another question, but Graham feels like a credible Championship-era target rather than a wild rumour, and that alone shows how quickly the ground has shifted.