Dunfermline: Dave Mackay gives January transfer update

Dave Mackay has said there are players that the club have identified but cautioned that it could depend on other clubs doing business as to whether any movement will quickly take place.

Last week, the Pars completed their first signing of the January transfer window with the loan signing of former Tottenham Hotspur defender Malachi Fagan-Walcott, who has joined until the end of the season from Cardiff City.

Fellow centre back, youngster Sam Young, has returned from a loan spell at East Stirlingshire, while goalkeeper, Harry Sharp, has returned to parent club Dundee following his temporary move to KDM Group East End Park in August.

"We’ve obviously still got Deniz and Max Little, so it’s not as if we’re terribly short in the goalkeeping position," assistant manager Mackay said of Sharp.

“But we’ll see as it goes towards the end of the window. It’s not a priority position. We’re short in certain other areas of the pitch.

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"I think the manager’s already said we’re looking for a striker and probably another defender as well as soon as possible, so there’s other areas we need to focus on first, but it might be one we look at towards the end of the window.

"Again, it’s the usual with these sorts of things, and especially the January transfer window, that it’s a domino effect. There’s one club makes a move, which then triggers other players being available for loan or transfer.

"A lot of stuff tends to get done in the last few days, which isn’t ideal. We would love to get players in quickly, and there’s been a few we’ve identified, but it’s whether the clubs are willing to do business, or if they need to do stuff before we can get them in.

"So, we’ve got options there and hopefully we can get one or two of them in quickly."

Mackay is, meanwhile, looking forward to working again with centre back Fagan-Walcott, who had a short spell on loan at Dundee in 2021.

A hamstring injury cut short that move from Spurs but Mackay, who was also current Pars gaffer James McPake's number two at Dens Park at the time, continued: "Malachi has settled in fine.

"He’s a nice boy and so laid back, and I think it helps coming into a squad that’s so young as well. They integrate so quickly and they’re a good bunch of boys that we have at this club, so they’ve welcomed him in, and he’s trained well.

"It’s a few years since we worked with him at Dundee but you can see the quality he’s got.

"He’s very good on the ball, he’s quick, he’s composed, so he’ll be a good addition to the squad. He’s got a good pedigree from starting his career at Spurs.

"We only worked with him for a short period of time at Dundee. He came in and then he picked up a bad hamstring injury, which meant he was going to be out for three or four months, so Spurs took him back down the road and he did his rehab there.

"We only got to work with him for a short period of time, and he only played two games, but during that time he was starting to get himself into the team and cement that place.

"I’ve no doubt he would have nailed down a regular first-team start and was only 18 at the time.

"That shows the quality he had and the belief we had in him, and we’re delighted to get him back.

"He’s comfortable stepping into midfield areas, he’s got good distribution. He’s quick, he’s aggressive and he’s a good size - aerially he likes going and competing - so he’s got all the attributes to be a really good player.

"Now’s the time. He’s at an age where he needs to go out and play regular first-time football and he’ll get the chance to do that here, hopefully."