Steven Pressley may only be in his early days as Dundee manager, but he’s already been forced to address Josh Mulligan’s future.
And while the former Hearts and Scotland defender tried to strike a diplomatic tone, his comments today only added fuel to the growing belief that Rangers’ interest in the 22-year-old is both serious and sustained.
Asked directly whether Mulligan was the kind of player he’d want to tie down before pre-season, Pressley was open but cautious, meeting the media for the first time as Dundee boss.
He said: “I would love to, but it's easier said than done.
“We’d love to keep certain personnel. There's a number of players that I think are pivotal to move this club in the right direction and we'll be working tirelessly to do so.”
That isn’t exactly a definitive “he’s going nowhere.” In fact, it reads more like a man who knows he’s fighting a battle he might already be losing.
Mulligan has long been tipped for a move to Ibrox, with the Rangers recruitment team well aware of his versatility, athleticism and potential for development.
Comfortable at right-back or in midfield, he offers the sort of flexibility Russell Martin should be keen to add to a squad undergoing a major summer refresh, with Lyall Cameron already arriving from the Dees this summer, Mulligan would be another young, Scottish talent snapped up by the new Ibrox regime.
For Dundee, losing Mulligan would be a blow, but perhaps not unexpected. The club are realistic about their position in the Scottish football food chain.
Pressley, for all his optimism, inherits a team that punches above its weight by developing talent and selling at the right time such as Cameron and Celtic’s Luke McCowan.
From a Rangers perspective, Mulligan represents more than just a squad addition. He fits the club’s strategy of securing emerging Scottish talent early, before they’re priced out of the domestic market or snapped up by clubs down south.
Pressley’s comments today didn’t slam the door shut. If anything, they cracked it open.