Ross County have informed the SPFL Caley Thistle have still to pay them for striker Alex Samuel’s loan last season.
The Staggies forward spent the second half of the campaign on loan at the doomed Championship club, now in League One.
Samuel – who is now back in Dingwall for the new Premiership campaign – scored five goals in 19 games in a bid to help Inverness secure second-tier safety.
However, a County source confirmed they have made the SPFL “aware” Caley Thistle have still to cough up an agreed loan fee for the striker.
The financially-embattled Caley Jags were under threat of entering administration following their relegation, but have since struck a takeover deal with Seventy7 Ventures, led by Ketan Makwana – though negotiations are still at a critical point as the contracts and finer points are drilled down.
According to the Scottish Sun, the Staggies are not the only Premiership club still due loan cash by the Highlanders from last season, with Dundee making similar overtures to the SPFL following defender Cammy Kerr’s temporary ICT stint, also in the second half of the campaign.
Kerr, who made 20 appearances for Inverness, has since left the Taysiders for Championship Queen’s Park.
Caley Thistle have been contacted for comment over the loan fees issue.
Ferguson seeks side’s scoring touch
Meanwhile, Inverness manager Duncan Ferguson hopes Caley Thistle can rediscover a scoring touch against their League One rivals.
So far this season, they have drawn 1-1 with Dumbarton and lost 1-0 at Annan Athletic in the league after bowing out of the Premier Sports Cup.
In the latter competition, they slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Annan, and though they beat League Two Bonnyrigg Rose 3-0, drew 0-0 with Arbroath and crashed 6-0 against ruthless Premiership opponents Dundee.
Inverness have been getting into dangerous positions, but a mixture of wayward shooting, hard luck or strong opponents have kept them out as they adjust to life after being relegated.
A harsh penalty – netted by Annan’s Tommy Goss – was the difference in the league clash with Annan at the weekend, and boss Ferguson, who is on the hunt for a forward signing, said: “We’re looking for some goals – we’re creating chances, but we don’t seem to be taking them.
“We always look strong defensively. We never concede many goals historically, but we’re not scoring enough.
“On Saturday, we had a number of chances in the second half, and we hit the bar and the keeper made a good save, but we’ve come away with nothing.
“We deserved a draw at least from our second half performance, but it was another poor decision against us, which led to Annan winning.”
Adam Brooks, Keith Bray and Luis Longstaff scored in the Bonnyrigg game, with Danny Devine netting against Dumbarton.
Ferguson said his forward players “need help” by way of more experienced recruits after the Annan loss.
More loan deals likely – Ferguson
Goalkeeper Musa Dibaga and returning defender Wallace Duffy signed on Saturday morning adding to the manager’s son – striker Cameron Ferguson – and on-loan Dundee United keeper Jack Newman as the summer additions so far.
The Inverness boss explained the loans market is the likely route for further signings.
He said: “Loan targets are a possibility. It’s an avenue we can look at.
“We have around three weeks until the window closes. In Scotland, we can go a wee bit longer.”
Only second-top Queen of the South and Inverness are full-time in League One and former Everton caretaker boss Ferguson hopes – as the months go by – this will make a difference.
He added: “There is not a lot of difference between full-time and part-time on the training side.
“Some of the part-time lads will have jobs, but other than the time on the pitch, there’s maybe only a day in it.
“We want to get our team as fit as we possibly can. Hopefully, as time goes along, we get fitter and stronger.”
Belief can rise by beating Montrose
This Saturday, ICT return to the Caledonian Stadium to take on a Montrose side who have two points so far after draws against Kelty and Arbroath.
Inverness edged past the Angus side 1-0 in the play-off semis in May before losing to Hamilton, so Ferguson hopes his team can land a victory to raise belief within the squad.
He said: “It will be a tough one. Montrose are one of the favourites to go up and they gave us a really tough game in the play-offs last season when we managed to scrape through.
“At their place they were better than us, and we were (better) than them at home.
“Hopefully we can get a win under our belts to give us some confidence.”
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