All Change At Saints & It Doesn't Look Like Robinson's Transfer Business Is Over Just Yet

2021/22 turned into another long and largely disappointing season for Saints.

With only ten wins from the 38 scheduled league games for The Buddies, relegation was ultimately avoided in a semi comfortable manner with a ninth placed finish in the division, a clear nine points ahead of eleventh placed St Johnstone who eventually won out over Inverness Caledonian Thistle in their two legged relegation Play Off Final.

Clearly improvement is the order of the day as preparations continue for the coming 2022/23 domestic campaign and for those who like a flutter you would get good odds on an improved league placing from the likes of betstation.com and manager Stephen Robinson has already been beavering away busily in the background, working hard with the club to improve his options at first team level and putting key members of his backroom team in place, and as fans will know, The Saints have already quickly added four new and fresh faces to the playing staff in the shape of 26-year-old former Motherwell midfielder Mark O'Hara, experienced 34-year-old former Dundee United goalkeeper Trevor Carson, 24-year-old former Western Sydney Wanderers winger Keanu Baccus and 25-year-old former Morecambe attacker Jonah Ayunga (pictured).

With Robinson working with Ayunga, Carson and O'Hara previously, that should help them to more quickly settle in at the club as they will already know exactly what he wants from them and it should also help him more quickly get his ideas across to the rest of the squad during the 2022/23 pre season build up.

It also does not look like the club are finished adding to their ranks yet with quite a while before the summer transfer window comes to an official close as it was being reported on Wednesday afternoon that we had lodged a firm interest in 29-year-old former Beerschot midfielder Tom Pietermaat.

The experienced former Belgian Under 20 youth international left the Belgian second tier side earlier in the week when his existing contract came to a natural end, and the Daily Record have recently claimed that he is definitely on Robinson's radar, and further that we have now formally approached the free agent with a contract proposal.

Pietermaat brought his eight year stay at the side to an end following their relegation from the Jupiler Pro League last season, and it is believed that the defensive midfielder is open to a new and different challenge and that we have identified his qualities as a potential solution to the ongoing uncertainly over Alex Gogic's own future at the SMISA Stadium.

The club have already offered the 28-year-old former Hibernian player a new contract following his loan spell with us in the second half of last season, but with him out on international and Nations League duty for Cyprus at the moment, that deal currently sits unsigned.

The media is also full of speculation linking us with former Non League starlet Toyosi Olusanya. The 24-year-old impressed many following his move to English Championship side Middlesbrough, but following their change of manager, it does not look like he is going to get much of a look in under Chris Wilder and it is believed he is open to a move north of the border, but we can expect competition on that front from Motherwell and Livingston as they are also credited with an interest in the pacey attacker.