Where St Johnstone need to strengthen in January transfer window

The January transfer window is fast approaching, and it is once again set to be a big one for St Johnstone with key additions needed to help in the fight for survival.

This will be Craig Levein’s first window where he will have the chance to impact his squad after taking over from Steven MacLean back in November and I’m sure there are many areas in which he is looking to strengthen.

From the outside looking in, it is probably quite obvious where Saints need to pinpoint in terms of new faces. Despite improving in recent weeks, goals have still been hard to come by and that will be without doubt the first port of call.

Injuries to Chris Kane and Nicky Clark for large periods of this season have certainly not helped matters on the pitch, but Saints are crying out for something different up there.

Speaking about the need for a new forward, Levein spoke openly recently explaining: “It will need to be someone who’s really good at something. We’re not likely to get someone who’s really good at three things.

“For me, we need some expertise in an area of attacking football that’s significant and can help us.

“Whether that’s speed, athleticism, aerial prowess, strength to hold the ball up or goalscoring, we need something to help. Looking at the league table you can see that.

“Our defensive record probably gets us something like mid-table. Our scoring record gets us where we are. Strikers have always been the hardest position to get right in the market.

“You start off looking for everything – strength, speed, intelligence, scoring ability. But we are into tens of millions for those things alone!

“I’ve decided we need to find someone who’s good at one or two things. We are trying on a number of fronts but we’re not going to get a tried and trusted 20-goal man.

“We need to be a bit more creative and look at two players who might complement each other, if that’s do-able.”

It will be interesting to see the type Saints opt for, but I understand the club are well on their way with discussions with several targets. This is a huge positive given our struggles in recent windows and preparation is always key in January as it is notoriously a tough time to complete business.

A new face coming into the striking department could mean that some squad members could be heading out come the new year. It is no surprise there is speculation surrounding Luke Jephcott, who has hardly kicked a ball in recent weeks, and Stevie May could be another who is asked to pursue a new challenge elsewhere depending on the number of new attacking additions.

Levein this week handed out his first contract extension as Chris Kane penned a new short-term deal until the end of the season. I expected the club to keep Kano on and hopefully, he can really kick on now by adding goals to his game. He can never be faulted for effort, but adding more goals would certainly be a huge bonus for the club as a whole.

Elsewhere, I can see the club looking to add a right-wing back who has pace and the ability to take on a man going forward. Drey Wright is the perfect fit, but injuries have troubled his campaign so far.

Personally, I am confident that Levein and head of football operations Gus MacPherson will produce the goods in January and add to a squad that already has plenty of talent added by Steven MacLean over the summer.

There is a real positivity surrounding the squad at the moment and Levein just needs to add to that with a couple of quality signings come the turn of the year.

Merry Christmas when it comes folks!