Elgin City manager Gavin Price is hoping the uncertainty over the future of striker Shane Sutherland will be resolved by the end of this week.
Sutherland, who has netted 29 goals in 42 appearances in the last two seasons for City, has attracted interest from numerous clubs including League 2 rivals Stirling Albion and Peterhead, along with Highland League champions Cove Rangers.
Stirling remain the only club to have met Elgin’s valuation of the former Caley Thistle attacker, however Price has grown frustrated by the saga and wants a decision made on the 27-year-old’s future by the time his players return for pre-season training on Saturday.
Price said: “Hopefully something will be resolved this week. There are a number of clubs that have noted their interest. At this moment, there is nobody apart from Stirling Albion that has met our valuation of the player.
“The whole Shane thing has upset our preparations a little bit. Whatever happens with that will obviously affect whether we need to get other players to the club or not.
“We are really waiting to see what’s going to happen with that.
“There has been a lot of interest and speculation over the last couple of weeks. Nothing has been decided yet, we don’t know what’s going to happen, but from my point of view as manager, the club needs to get a decision one way or another because we don’t want to be going into pre-season with uncertainty over that position in the team hanging over the club’s head.
“It has not been ideal, it has taken up a lot of time and energy that should be used on other things. It has been frustrating, it was not something we were looking for.”
Price confirmed winger Ali Sutherland has agreed a new contract with the Black and Whites, however midfielder Scott Smith has moved on, with the future of defender Cameron Eadie still to be decided.