New signing Hay 'couldn't wait' to join Pressley's Dundeepublished at 15:44 4 July
15:44 4 July
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New Dundee forward Ashley Hay "couldn't wait" to sign for the club and link-up with Steven Pressley again after joining from Brentford.
Hay, 21, spent two years with the Bees and captained their 'B' side as well as being top-scorer, while working closely with Pressley in his role as head of individual player development.
"I am excited to be here and can't wait to meet all the boys," Hay told club media.
"I was with Steven at Brentford. He came to me and my agent, and proposed for me to come here. I heard about the project and couldn't wait to get down.
"We had a good chat, he explained what he wants from me, what he sees in me. I trust in him fully and can't wait to get started."
Winger Yogane joins Dundee on loan from Brentfordpublished at 06:32 1 July
06:32 1 July
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Image caption,
Tony Yogane started five games on loan to Exeter City last season
Dundee head coach Steven Pressley has returned to former club Brentford to sign 19-year-old left winger Tony Yogane on a season-long loan.
Pressley was the Premier League club's head of individual player development before moving to Dens Park this summer.
And he oversaw Yogane's development through the club's youth system, his debut and, so far, only first-team appearance last year in a Carabao Cup win over Leyton Orient, then a loan spell with Exeter City.
The Croydon-born teenager told Dundee's website: "Steven worked with me closely and looked after me, so I couldn't say no when the opportunity came."
Yogane began his career in Sheffield Wednesday's youth system before moving to Brentford as a 16-year-old.
He ended last season having made 19 appearances, five of them starts, as Exeter finished the League One campaign in 16th place.
"It was good - the league was obviously tougher, a different experience, but a good experience to play that amount of games," Yogane said of the jump from under-21 games with Brentford.
Which Premiership players will be free agents on 1 July?published at 16:02 30 June
16:02 30 June
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Image caption,
Scotland internationals Greg Taylor (left), Lawrence Shankland (centre) & Allan Campbell (right) are all set to become free agents
BBC Sport has taken a look at which players will be free agents on 1 July.
The majority of major football leagues run from late summer to late spring, with pre-season in June and July. Therefore, contracts across most divisions typically expire at 23:59 on 30 June each year.
Those whose contracts are expiring but have already agreed transfers to new clubs are not included, as they will not become free agents.
Some Scottish Premiership contracts expire on 31 May rather than 30 June - the below players either already are or will become free agents.
Aberdeen: Tom Ritchie
Celtic: Greg Taylor
Dundee: Scott Fraser, Antonio Portales, Joe Shaughnessy
Dundee United: David Babunksi, Allan Campbell, Lewis Moult, Bryan Mwangi
Falkirk: N/A
Hearts: Jorge Grant, Barrie McKay, Lawrence Shankland
Pressley wants Dundee to end high player turnoverpublished at 12:00 28 June
12:00 28 June
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New boss Steven Pressley is aiming to shake up Dundee's previous transfer strategy as he plans to implement a new, long-term, recruitment strategy.
The Dens Park club signed 16 players last season, and 22 the season before that. So far this summer, Pressley has added just four.
"I'm aware that it's going to take time to get the players in," the new head coach said. "It's really challenging, but I came here with that understanding.
"There's no doubt we could get players in now but are they the right ones for Dundee? That's the most important factor."
"Every year there seems to be a real transition of players and we have to get away from that at our club.
"It has to be when we come to the end of a season, we're only looking to recruit two or three and build on the season before."
"In order to do that it's very important that we get the recruitment right now. We're working tirelessly hard, really doing a lot of due diligence around that. Everybody's really committed to try and getting players in, but we just want to get the right players in."
Pressley has the added difficulty of replacing two key players, academy graduates Lyall Cameron and Josh Mulligan, who have departed for Rangers and Hibernian respectively.
"We've made a couple of really good acquisitions to the squad in [Paul] Digby, who's settled in extremely well, Drey Wright, who has had a a couple of excellent seasons at St Johnstone, and of course Emile [Acquah] from AFC Barrow, a big striker that has very much impressed me in my travels in England.
"He also impressed our recruitment team - the reports, the due diligence on him was very good and we all collaborated. We think he is a really interesting signing."
The head coach also touched on the partnership Acquah can strike with new club captain Simon Murray, who was appointed earlier in the week - a decision Pressley called "very easy".
"It was the natural choice. When you look at Simon, first and foremost, he's a terrific person but he's also a player with a great attitude.
"He leads by example to our younger players, he's a really good player and I love his journey. He's had to work exceptionally hard for what he's got, he's had some serious setbacks in his career, some difficult periods, but he just keeps going.
"He's shown amazing resilience and we're really seeing the fruits of that now. He's never been better than he is now, never been fitter than he is now, so it was a very easy decision. He's a Dundee supporter at heart, which which also is a a really important factor."
Dundee wait for compensation news for departed duopublished at 09:29 28 June
09:29 28 June
Dundee are still in the dark as to the compensation they will receive for Lyall Cameron, who has joined Rangers, and fellow midfielder Josh Mulligan, who has signed for Hibernian. (Daily Record), external
Bulgaria international Galabov joins Dundee 'family'published at 11:53 27 June
11:53 27 June
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Bulgaria international Plamen Galabov "quickly" signed a two-year deal with Dundee as he wants to get out his "comfort zone" and "challenge" himself.
The defender joins Steven Pressley's side upon the expiry of his contract with Israeli side Maccabi Petah Tiva, where he made 37 appearances last season.
Galabov, 29, started his career in his native Bulgaria with FC Lovech, before moving to CSKA Sofia. His last three clubs have been in Israel, where he said he grew comfortable.
"After four years in Israel, I had found my comfort zone and when I found out about the interest from Dundee I wanted to come to Scotland," he told Dundee's website.
"I want to challenge myself and see how far I can go."
Galabov has five international appearances to his name since his debut in September 2020 against the Republic of Ireland in the UEFA Nations League.
"From my first impressions here it seems like everyone is like a family and it made me feel very warm," he added.
"I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone. Everything happened very fast, a week ago my agent told me of the interest from the club, I started to read more about the country and then I accepted very quickly this opportunity.
"I always try to be a team player, for me it's very important to try and help my teammates around me.
"As a defender, it is important to communicate a lot and to be calm as that helps the players around you."
Mulligan moving on as Dundee miss out on Pennington - gossippublished at 08:29 26 June
08:29 26 June
Hibernian have agreed to sign free agent Josh Mulligan, the 22-year-old midfielder most recently at Dundee, with a medical imminent. (Fabrizio Romano on X), external
Livingston are keen on a return for Hearts midfielder Macaulay Tait, 19, following his successful loan last season, but there is also interest from Dundee, Falkirk and St Johnstone. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required), external
Murray relishing 'responsibility' of being new Dundee captain published at 15:32 24 June
15:32 24 June
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Simon Murray says it was "an easy decision" to accept and "a massive honour" to be announced as captain of Dundee.
The striker, who rejoined his boyhood club last season after a short loan in 2018, scored 22 goals in 48 games in the campaign gone by.
He had the captain's armband around his bicep throughout the season after injury interrupted previous Joe Shaughnessy's campaign and Trevor Carson was in and out of the team.
Murray admitted he will "give his all" to the role assured he is "not going to change" despite the new responsibility.
"It is a massive honour," he told club media.
"Being from here, growing up as a Dundee fan and now getting that responsibility from the new gaffer is great and something that I am really proud of.
"We've had a few days in training and I had a good chat with the gaffer, he pulled me in and we had a really good chat and he said that he wanted me to be the captain.
"It was an easy decision for me to accept. I'm going to give it my all and I look forward to the challenge.
"I'm not going to change. The gaffer was pretty clear that he wants me just to be me.
"Just to bring what I bring, enthusiasm, hard work, and leadership skills and for me just be my own person and just keep doing what I'm doing. He said that was the reason that he chose me to be captain."
Sylla switches Dundee for Livingstonpublished at 12:13 24 June
12:13 24 June
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Midfielder Mo Sylla has joined Livingston following his exit from fellow Scottish Premiership side Dundee on a three-year deal.
The French 31-year-old spent two seasons at the Dens Park club, making 67 appearances, after joining from English League Two side Hartlepool United.
Sylla becomes David Martindale's seventh signing as the Lions prepare for life in the top flight again.
Acqua fee could rise to £100k - gossippublished at 07:55 24 June
07:55 24 June
Image source, BBC Sport
Dundee will pay £33,000 up front, possibly rising to £100,000 if add-ons are met, to Barrow for Emile Acquah after the 24-year-old striker signed a three-year deal at Dens Park. (Courier), external
Dundee are interested in 30-year-old Blackpool centre-back Matthew Pennington. (Daily Record), external
Monterrey duo on trial - gossippublished at 07:50 23 June
07:50 23 June
Image source, BBC Sport
Oscar Soto, a 20-year-old centre-back, and 19-year-old midfielders Jorge Landeros and Jose Urias are heading to Dundee on trial from Monterrey with a view to loan moves, while midfield duo Kyle Magennis and Tommy McDermott, who have left Kilmarnock and Burnley respectively, are also on trial. (Daily Record), external
Doom & gloom among Dundee supportpublished at 15:40 21 June
15:40 21 June
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We asked for your views on Dundee's Scottish Premiership fixtures and how they will be faring after 10 games.
Here's what some of you said:
Lammy: Impossible to say until we see the new squad assembled. Anything round about 15 points will be okay.
Alister: Sadly, stranded in 12th place. It doesn't really matter how the fixtures land, we are certs going down. All of our better experienced players gone, apart from Simon Murray and Trevor Carson, not near Premiership standard as they proved last season. In 64 years attending Dens, never witnessed such a shambles pre-season.
Alan: Dundee have tough opening fixtures. Our squad is much weaker than the one that narrowly avoided the drop last season and we appear to be shopping in the 'bargain basement' in an effort to strengthen. We have no chance of making the top six and will compete with Livingston to avoid automatic relegation.
Gary: The games will sort themselves out if we have a squad ready to take them on. At this point it's glaringly obvious there's no depth. Six weeks to flesh out a team, bringing in starters, not project players. Only way you plan for the future properly is by breeding success consistently.
Which club has the toughest start?published at 15:16 20 June
15:16 20 June
Opta have crunched the numbers to rank the difficulty of each Scottish Premiership club's first four fixtures of the 2025-26 season.
According to their data model, St Mirren have the toughest start, followed by two clubs helmed by new managers, Dundee and Motherwell.
As for the easiest, Hibernian and capital rivals Hearts should got off to a flier, right?
Take a look below to see where your side places...
How it starts and how it endspublished at 15:00 20 June
15:00 20 June
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Aside from the first game of the season against Hibernian, all dates are subject to change as a result of broadcast and other requirements.
Derbies, festive schedule & more - Dundee's standout gamespublished at 12:26 20 June
12:26 20 June
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The first Dundee derby of the 2025-26 Scottish Premiership season will take place on Saturday, 30 August.
Steven Pressley's side welcome Dundee United to Dens Park for a 15:00 BST kick-off.
New boss Pressley's first jaunt down to his former club in the league will be the new year showdown on Saturday, 3 January.
What else awaits the Dark Blues on the festive schedule? Their last game before Christmas is away to Motherwell on Saturday, 20 December then they see out 2025 with home matches against newly-promoted Falkirk and Kilmarnock.
The final derby of the pre-split season is pencilled in for Saturday, 14 March.
Pressley's men round off the pre-split campaign away to Killie on Saturday, 11 April.
Image source, Getty Images
