Motherwell have signed Australian Under-23 international centre-back Jake Girdwood-Reich, but midfielder Elliot Watt could be on his way out.
Well agreed an undisclosed fee with Major League Soccer side St Louis City to bring in 22-year-old Girdwood-Reich, who can play in central defence or as a deep-lying midfielder.
The latter is the role that was last season filled by Watt, whose performances and stats prompted interest from several other clubs, including Turkish side Samsunspor.
One of their board members, Suat Cakır, has been quoted in several Turkish news outlets as saying his club are in the final stages of a transfer.
Cakir revealed there had been six weeks of negotiations with Motherwell and claimed a deal was close with personal terms already agreed.
Girdwood-Reich arrives at Fir Park after two years as a St Louis player, although he spent last season on loan with Auckland, where he won the A-League championship.
He made his first-team breakthrough with Sydney before being targeted by St Louis sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel, who is now in the same role at Aberdeen.
Read more
-
SPFL boss insists lower-league opponents 'wanted it more' after League Cup shock
-
SPFL boss makes no excuses for 'unacceptable' Premier Sports Cup defeat
-
Premier Sports Cup round-up: Montrose pull off shock of the group stage so far
“Jake has a perfect blend of experience and young, raw talent,” manager Alfred Johansson told Motherwell’s official website.
“At 22, he is young, enthusiastic and energetic. With lots of development still possible, he has enough experience to slot in comfortably in this environment. Defensively, he is a strong and intelligent player whose traits match our style.”
Girdwood-Reich has Scottish heritage on his father’s side and spent about six months with St Johnstone Under-11s while his mother, a university lecturer, was working in Scotland.
“It feels so good to be here,” he said. “Talks have been ongoing, and I’ve been keen to get things finalised so I could get to work.
“The manager was impressive in the way he explained how he wanted the team to play, and that is something that is important to me. I know what he expects from me, and I know what I can expect from him.
“I’ve met the players, and everyone has been welcoming and open to me coming in, so that’s another part that has been easy.
“I know a couple of the boys and have played against a few too, so settling in won’t be an issue.”
.png?w=600)
