“I have targeted four key areas I still want to strengthen and the aim is to get players in for each of them,” said Alex. “As is always the way, money will determine how many I get, but it will be a minimum of four. Once I’ve done that, I will have a look at what’s left in the budget and who’s available out there, and we might be able to squeeze out a fifth.”

Alex remains hopeful Innes will put pen to paper and, while the Snodgrass bid has become more drawn out than he would have liked, that deal is not dead yet.

“We’ve given Chris a bit of time to let him sort something out and there is still a chance he’ll be coming,” he added. “The other one is dragging on a bit, but it is still one that could happen.”

The likes of Hartlepool and Crewe have been credited with an interested in Snodgrass, but cross-border compensation rules mean they would have to stump up as much as a six-figure fee to get the 20-year-old and that could scare them, and other clubs down south, off.

Dundee have agreed a far more modest price with Livingston and it is now a matter of Snodgrass deciding if he should head for Dens.

East Fife are showing an interest in French wide man Freddie Daquin.

There has even been a suggestion Celtic would make a move if their bid to land Greece striker Giorgios Samaras on a permanent move from Manchester City fails to come off.