The Dens Park boss knows he is losing Lyall Cameron to Ibrox this summer but insists Mulligan making the move isn’t a done deal
Tony Docherty has not given up hope of keeping Rangers target Josh Mulligan at Dundee.
The Ibrox club already have a pre-contract signed with Lyall Cameron and are also interested in his Dens team-mate.
They have held talks with Mulligan but nothing has been finalised as most of Rangers’ transfer activity has been put on hold, with sporting director Kevin Thelwell still to officially start and an American takeover to be finalised.
Dee boss Docherty said: “We won’t give up hope of Josh staying because you always want to keep your best players.
“We started the season with Luke McCowan, Cameron and Mulligan and all three have improved so much, they’re attracting attention. It’s important that’s what we do at this club – improve and develop players.
“It’s great to see players do well and for as long as Josh is with us, we’ll continue to work with him. Hopefully we’re working with him for longer.”
Docherty believes the biggest compliment he can pay Mulligan is he asked him to step up when McCowan left last August, the academy graduate doing so and more.
Mulligan has racked up 37 run-outs this term and his gaffer added: “This season was going to be a challenge for Josh because we lost Luke to Celtic and I told him afterwards I needed him to step up.
“I wanted to see him as our most prominent midfielder alongside Cameron and gave him the No.8 jersey.
“He’s getting better and better as the season goes on. There’s going to be speculation about him.”
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