Craig has recently been over to Ireland to check on players and tonight’s trip to England will be his second in the space of four days as he looks to further boost his dossier on possible targets for next season.

“This is all about looking to bring in good players at the right price to Tannadice during the summer,” he said.

“It has always been my policy to do as much homework as possible to ensure that, when we do move, we get good value for money.”

Meanwhile, the United manager expressed his dismay that he will be without David Robertson for the next few games.

The midfielder’s red-card appeal, following his dismissal against Hearts, was yesterday rejected by the ruling body.

“We sat and watched the video footage of the incident several times and David was not aggressive in any shape or form,” said Craig. “There was just no semblance of violent conduct, so it’s a bit disappointing.”