Inverness Caley Thistle chief executive Charlie Christie confirmed they turned down offers for two players during transfer window
INVERNESS Caledonian Thistle have confirmed that they turned down offers for two players during the January transfer window period.
Interim chief executive Charlie Christie said the club turned down two offers before the transfer window closed on Monday night.
Christie would not confirm the identity of the two other players they received offers for. But he did say they were quickly rejected.
Christie confirmed: "We had two other offers for players and I turned them down.
"We're in a hugely different predicament. Most players are out of contract in the summer.
"Something we've not been good at in the past is giving players longer-term contracts, which can be dangerous. You can get relegated and, like Stoke City, be hit really hard.
"You can be relegated and then have to pay out on these contracts. You have to be careful and it is something we have to look at going forward.
"Our contractual offers have not been greatly sensible at times.
"The offers for other players were ended in two-minute phone calls.
"I won't say which players, but we did tell the players.
"One of them was slightly disappointed, but he did see, after a 10-minute conversation with Scott Kellacher and I, where we're at.
"There was always going to be the potential for this, and I thought we might even had more.”
Christie said that they were pleased they are able to retain the services of Bray on loan from Dunfermline for the rest of the season.
While not disclosing the amount they received from Dunfermline Athletic, he described it as a fair deal which also includes as a sell-on deal.
Christie said: "We agreed we wouldn't disclose it, which is very common.
"I would describe it as very fair.
"Keith is out of contract in June, so this was an opportunity for him which came out of the blue.
"We had three requests to speak to players (during the January window), not solid offers, but it didn't surprise us given how well we've done lately.
"Keith's bid surprised me the most.
"It was former Hearts player John Colquhoun I dealt with the most. I played against John and know him and he's involved in the consortium at Dunfermline.
"It came out of left field and over three days and 16 telephone calls back and forward, we tried to get a bit more for Caley Thistle.
The big thing is Keith is going to be out of contract. If he was on a three or four-year contract , it could be a different ball game.
"There would have been a time when Caley Thistle wouldn't have contemplated selling players to Dunfermline.
"I regard Dunfermline as being in the top 10 sized clubs in Scotland.
"It's a good opportunity for another academy player.
"Ross Jack and I really pushed for him, like Liam Polworth, because we saw something different in him.
"All credit to him, with the effort you have to make when you come from the islands.
"The club's policy has always been not to stand in young players' way. That was at the forefront of my mind as well.
"Financially, it is undoubtedly fair.”
