Caley Thistle manager Duncan Ferguson hopes to add a new striker in time for Saturday’s League One visit of Stenhousemuir.
Earlier this week, Ferguson spoke of how he faced competition from clubs in the Championship in his efforts to land a forward on loan from another Scottish club.
Ferguson now has renewed hope he can finalise a deal with the Caley Jags boss hoping the guarantee of a regular starting berth will be enough to lure the player to the Highlands.
He said: “We’ve been in negotiations for quite a long time now.
“We’re hoping he is going to pick Inverness.
“He is a very good player and he will get game-time here.
“That’s why we’re hopefully ahead of the rest in that we’re going to make sure he gets into our team, and he’ll start the games.
“We’re getting closer and we’re hoping to get it done, if we can, and he’ll come in for the weekend.”
No deal for Graham – as Ferguson looks to improve goal tally
Caley Jags had also handed a trial to Lewis-born forward James Graham, who is a free agent after leaving Rangers in the summer.
Although 20-year-old Graham spent a short time training with the Highlanders, Ferguson says Caley Jags will not be pursuing a deal.
The move to bolster Inverness’ frontline has come as a result of Ferguson’s desire to improve his side’s goalscoring tally.
Caley Thistle have netted six goals, conceding the same number, from their opening seven matches in League One.
While he remains content with Inverness’ defensive record, Ferguson is looking for a greater cutting edge in their efforts to turn draws into wins.
He added: “I think we had one of the best defensive records in the Championship last year.
“We’re building another good defensive record this season.
“Last year we had a plus goal difference yet ended up going down out of the division.
“We don’t lose games often. We’ve lost 10 in the league I think since I’ve been here.
“But we need to win games and the only way we’ll do that is by sticking the ball in the net.
“Our defence has been magnificent in my time, with a lot of clean sheets. We were reasonably all right in goals scored last season, but we’re not there yet this year.
“That can all change on Saturday. It is a very tight league, with not a lot of points in it either way.
“We can be better in the final third and that’s what we’re looking to be on Saturday.”
Caley Jags to come up against former Toffees’ team-mate
Ferguson will come up against a former team-mate in the form of Stenny boss Gary Naysmith – with the pair having played together for Everton in the English Premier League in the early part of the millennium.
Ferguson added: “He was a very good player. He came down to Everton and he was a good full-back, committed.
“I think he has done well in his coaching and had quite a few jobs at quite a young age.
“It will be nice to see him at the weekend.”
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