ATHLETIC could be set to snap up St Johnstone striker Chris Kane on a permanent basis, according to reports.
Speculation has heavily tipped the 29-year-old with a return to KDM Group East End Park, following a successful loan spell, when his contract with his parent club expires at the end of the month.
Kane was signed on a temporary basis by James McPake in February and went on to score five goals in 10 appearances, helping the Pars pull clear of relegation trouble and finish sixth.
Following Dunfermline's final match of the Championship season at Ayr United, in which he scored twice, earlier this month, Kane revealed that McPake had told him that he'd like to have him back at the club.
The experienced forward, who has made 244 appearances, and won both the Scottish Cup and League Cup with Saints during 15 years at McDiarmid Park, did not rule out an East End return when he spoke after that game.
"He (McPake) has told me that he would like me to be here. I have enjoyed my time, it is a great club so we will see what happens in the summer," Kane said.
"When I first came in we were down towards the bottom of the league, but there were loads of injuries.
"The manager told me boys were coming back, so there weren’t any real big worries. Whatever happens next year, if I end up here, I’m sure the manager will recruit well and it will be an exciting league.
"I have really enjoyed it.
"I came to play, I came to prove my fitness and I have done that so I want to thank the manager, the backroom staff and everyone at Dunfermline for giving me the opportunity. I am out of contract now and we will see what happens in the summer."
Kane came through the youth ranks at Saints and, aside from his Pars loan, and similar spells with Dumbarton and Queen of the South as a younger player, has spent his entire career with the Perth club.
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A serious knee injury, however, kept him sidelined between January 2022 and May last year and, in June 2023, he signed a contract extension taking him into the 2023/24 campaign.
In December, Kane penned another until the end of the current campaign, but was subsequently allowed to join Dunfermline on loan.
Addressing his Saints future following Pars' last game of the season, Kane added: "I have not been told that I’m not being kept on (at St Johnstone).
"I'm out of contract and I have not been contacted yet. I'm sure that I will get a phone call soon. If they want to keep me we will obviously speak about it.
"I have really enjoyed my time there. I left school to join when I was 15. I am pushing on 30 now so I have really enjoyed my 14 years there.
"If I do leave, it will be a sad time, but that’s football. Things move on and I might just have to do that. I will thank them but I will wait until I find out what actually happens and take it from there."
During his time at Dunfermline, Kane's contribution was frequently praised by McPake who, following a win at Arbroath in April, said: "Even when he's not scoring, his all-round striker play's fantastic," McPake enthused.
"He gets you up the pitch, he gets you fouls, he doesn't give centre backs a minute.
"He's brilliant to work with. He's certainly in this league because of his injuries, because he's certainly a Premier League striker, and he's proven that over the last 10 or so years."
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