It is still not certain, though, that his performances will earn him a long-term deal.

The manager has made signing strikers a priority, but is determined to keep his options open.

“I’ll be having a chat with Mark to get his thoughts and give him mine and we’ll take things from there, but there are a few things I’m looking at and it might take a bit of time to get things sorted.”

Likewise, while he would not rule out the possibility of a future move to make Celtic winger Jim O’Brien’s loan a permanent switch, it is not top of Craig’s list of to dos.

O’Brien did not feature as regularly as was expected when he arrived in January, but that in itself should not be taken as a sign his time at Tannadice was regarded as a disappointment.

“Jim’s a player I still like and you have to remember he is still young. He’s gone back to Celtic and, although nothing is imminent, he is not off the radar.”

This week could see Mark Kerr’s future sorted and an offer to tempt the midfielder to stay on is being put together.

There remains a strong chance, though, that Kerr will opt for a fresh challenge down south with one of several Championship clubs who have been tracking him.

“I’ll be speaking to the chairman and we’ll do something, but the bottom line is the budget is what it is and there is only so much we can offer,” added Craig.