LIVINGSTON boss Roberto Landi goes into tomorrow's clash with Morton having won four out of five games, but he still craves a new striker.
The Italian is keen to recruit an experienced target man to augment his cosmopolitan squad and add some height alongside the diminutive Leigh Griffiths and Jean Cuenca. Griffiths scored for the second match running as Forfar were vanquished in the Al
ba Cup in midweek and he is sure to be main focus of attack again at Cappielow.
A loan deal is in the offing for Hearts striker Calum Elliot and goalkeeper Anthony Basso. However, Landi said: "The strikers we have are small and they are still young for this league. We are looking for one forward and a keeper to bring in experience."
What Landi will not be lacking, it seems, is financial clout.
If any Livingston fans still needed convincing of the new owners' ambitions for the club, confirmation was received this week with chairman Angelo Massone rejecting bids of around £150,000 for defenders James McPake and Dave Mackay.
"I don't want the money," said Massone, who believes Livingston can become the third force in Scottish football. "The clubs asked me 'how much do you want', but I said 'I don't want the money, I want the players, they will be staying at the club'."
St Mirren offered around £100,000 for McPake, while Motherwell offered £50,000 for Mackay. However, Massone may have to fight harder to keep Mackay, who made a transfer request in May and is keen on playing in the SPL. Two other Lions players, Joe Hamill and Liam Fox, have signed new deals until 2011.
Massone added: "We have a fantastic opportunity and the potential to become the third force in Scottish football.
"Livingston did it before when they finished third in the SPL. I remember the fantastic days under Davie Hay and I want to create the same enthusiasm."
Massone also said the consortium he is heading wants to purchase Almondvale.
"We want to buy the stadium, it makes no sense to rent. We need to put down a footprint and hopefully the club will become self-sustainable. We have to reorganise the entire place, from the football side of things to the business."
The full article contains 385 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
