Caley Thistle manager John Hughes says securing midfielder Greg Tansey on a long-term contract is his next priority.
Tansey’s current deal expires in 2017, meaning he is one of just seven Inverness players under contract beyond this summer.
The Englishman was the subject of a failed £200,000 offer by Premiership rivals Aberdeen in January, despite Dons manager Derek McInnes believing the offer triggered a release clause.
Hughes is determined to stave off interest from elsewhere and feels Tansey’s importance to Caley Jags puts him at the front of the queue for a new deal.
Ahead of tomorrow’s Premiership match against Kilmarnock, Hughes said: “The first thing I want to do is tie up Greg. He still has a year of his contract to go but everyone who knows football knows he is the linchpin for how we play.
“He is pivotal and he’s never injured. He trains and plays all the time and he’s a good lad who wants to learn. We have to get him sorted.
“I want to get him tied up and committed to the club.”
Hughes is also keen to retain midfielder Aaron Doran, who has missed the majority of the campaign with a knee injury, insisting the Irishman is among the next in line for a new deal.
Hughes added: “After Greg we’re probably looking at Aaron. We’ve checked extensively on the medical side and he’s just about ready to go again.
“He’s another who excites me in the top end of the pitch. He takes it on the back foot, he can take people on and create a goal. He’s just been unfortunate to be injured this year.”
Hughes says there is unlikely to be a deal on the table for right back David Raven, insisting his main focus is on strengthening further upfield.
He added: “David is the same as the rest of them. There hasn’t been a decision made.
“We’re all sitting waiting to see where we are going to finish in the league.
“It seems very unlikely he will get something. The reason being, if I have anything extra, I want to invest it in the top end of the field. We’ve been short there.
“I want to bring in more quality there and someone has to be sacrificed. Unfortunately, it might have to be David – I’m not saying it is.
“It might have to be one or two others for us to bring in that quality.
“I’ve seen some real good technical footballers leave and I think it has affected us a little bit in terms of the quality of football, especially in the final third in terms of people who can unlock the door, score a goal.
“All my concentration, and any money that is available, is going on that top end.”