Dundee manager Steven Pressley wants more players this summer. Image: Paul Devlin/SNS.

There are 38 days until the summer transfer window closes, and Dundee still has a lot of work to do.

Seven new faces have arrived since Steven Pressley took over, but there are still significant gaps in the squad.

Important positions on the team remain open. And the Premiership begins next Sunday, so time is running out already.

What is required over the next five and a half weeks?

Make or break

The recruitment between now and September 1 at 7 p.m. will make or break Dundee and Pressley’s season. Fans can see that the squad clearly needs to add quality players in specific positions.

It is unbalanced, with plenty of defensive options, mostly on the left, but a lack of midfield options, and the only natural right wing option has been to play full-back.

The team currently has more goalkeepers than attacking midfielders. Age (three of them are around 30 years old), leadership, and physicality have all been common themes among the already signed players.

Between now and the end of the window, they really need to add quality to replace players like Lyall Cameron, Josh Mulligan, and Scott Tiffoney, all of whom will face Dundee in the Premiership this season.

Attack

There are enough defenders on the squad. However, attacking reinforcements are badly needed.

Pressley has already ruled out another striker joining. He is content with the three options in place.

Instead, the supply of those options needs to be found. With Charlie Reilly’s injury, Tony Yogane is the only fit winger in the squad right now.

Pressley wants a good option for this position, particularly on the right.

Though a switch to a 3-5-2 with wing-backs proved successful at Bonnyrigg, the Dens manager has been working on a 4-4-2 with wingers.

Creativity

The most important position in the team yet to be filled is attacking midfield.

Luke McCowan and Lyall Cameron, Dundee’s top creators in recent years, will face off in Old Firm derbies this season.

Neither have been replaced yet. The Dark Blues were close to signing Macedonian playmaker Martin Gjorgievski before pulling out.

Dundee is clearly concerned about this position because they understand how important it will be. They are looking for players who can score from midfield. Finding a player who can add that and create opportunities for the frontmen is high on the shopping list.

The Dark Blues are hoping to revive a deal for Burnley’s Tommy McDermott. The 20-year-old impressed during his first pre-season trial at Dens Park.

At that point, his contract with Turf Moor was set to expire, and he would be available for free transfer. However, the Clarets exercised an option to extend the contract by a year, and his trial ended.

After scoring in a friendly against Arbroath, McDermott left Gayfield and drove straight back south.

A loan move may still occur later in the window. Ziyad Larkeche left last season, and a natural left-back is needed. However, given the club’s existing cover options, that is not as high a priority as attacking midfield.

Numbers

Managers will always say they prefer quality over quantity. Ideally, they want both. Pressley, Dundee’s manager, certainly needs more options.

So far in the disastrous League Cup group stage campaign, he has tried left-back Imari Samuels at right wing, striker Ash Hay there, and Luke Graham at left back.

Drey Wright has played in three different positions thus far. Young players such as Ethan Crombie and Finlay Allan have also been on the bench.

Talented as they are, they are for the future and are not yet ready to play regularly in the Premier League.

Dundee are looking for at least four more players, possibly five, if the right ones become available.

Some will be loans; large clubs frequently wait until late in the window to release players on loan. But there is still a lot to be done.

Any going out?

When asked if any players might leave, Pressley has been consistent in his responses. This will not change unless significant additions are made.

Development players are likely to be loaned out at some point, but first-teamers are unlikely to leave unless good offers come in.

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