Dundee

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Defender Luke Graham is leaving Dundee with a "big thank you to everyone around the club" after he was sold to Stoke City for an undisclosed club-record fee.

The 22-year-old centre-half was a standout performer last season, making 40 appearances and scoring three goals.

Capped at Under-21 level, he was included in Scotland's pre-World Cup training squad and was an unused substitute in May's friendly win over Curacao at Hampden.

Graham joined Dundee at the age of 15 and had loan spells at Lochee United, Albion Rovers, Montrose and Falkirk before making his first team debut in July 2024.

"I think it's the right time for me to move on and test myself in a different environment," he told club media.

"Sad to be leaving, but happy to see what lies ahead.

"Dundee has been massive for me. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Dundee taking a chance on me as a young kid coming through the academy.

"I just want to say a big thank you to everyone around the club, all the supporters, all the teammates and everyone I've worked with. I've made a lot of really good friends along the way that I'll stay in touch with.

"Pulling on a Dundee shirt was a really proud feeling for me and I'll be supporting the club wherever I go."

Meanwhile, Dundee continued their pre-season tour of Hungary with a 2-1 win against Paksi.

Ashley Hay opened the scoring and 16-year-old Ryan Bland added the second for Steven Pressley's side.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Former defender Lee Wilkie fears Dundee will find it "really hard to replace" centre-halves Luke Graham and Billy Koumetio, but he is heartened by the fact head coach Steven Pressley has already shown "he can get the right players in".

Koumetio, 23, has left to sign for Charlton Athletic for an undisclosed fee.

Graham, 22, who has been linked with both Stoke City and Portsmouth, looks set to join him in England's Championship after the club accepted a bid for him.

Wilkie, who spent eight years at Dundee, said: "Luke has had a bit of interest around for the past wee while, so I think Dundee were probably preparing themselves quite well just to try and maximise the offers they were going to get for him and then prepare to replace him.

"Whereas with Billy it has been a little bit out of the blue and probably not ideal from Dundee's point of view in terms of trying to replace him.

"Because I think even with the time they had with Luke, trying to get the right kind of guys in would have been a tough job for them. So, to do it when Billy ends up going could end up being a really tough job to try and replace him."

"When you are talking about the core of a team - goalkeepers, centre-halves, centre midfielders, strikers - those types of players are always sought after and really hard to replace."

Dundee have a number of voids to fill in their team following the departure of several key players since the end of last season.

And Wilkie said: "Pressley has definitely shown he can get the right players in. He has got an eye for the right type of player and the right type that they want to get into the club.

"It is positive from the fans' point of view. If they are a little bit worried about who is going to be coming in, I think Pressley and his coaching staff and his recruitment staff are all definitely on the ball when it comes to getting the right players in.

"The only issue might be time, and I think you just need to look at their latest signing, [Ryan] Finnigan. I think Pressley himself mentioned that it took them almost 12 months to bring him in, so it just shows you the length of time it takes to get the right player into a club."

Dundee midfielder Paul Digby is in talks with Colchester United after the 31-year-old was told he was free to leave, while defender Aaron Donnelly could also exit this summer. (Courier - subscription required, external)

Thursday's Scottish gossip

Dundee defender Luke Graham, 22, is set for a seven-figure move to either Portsmouth or frontrunners Stoke City. (Sun), external

Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Dundee have accepted offers for defensive pair Luke Graham and Billy Koumetio.

The central defenders have left the Dark Blues' training camp in Hungary and could now finalise their departures from the club.

There has long been speculation surrounding Graham, 22, following a standout campaign in the heart of the Dundee rearguard, with a host of clubs, including English Championship sides Portsmouth and Stoke City, credited with an interest in him.

Frenchman Koumetio, 23, has also caught the eye since arriving on Tayside from Liverpool two years ago and has been linked with a move to English second-tier club Charlton Athletic in recent days.

Meanwhile, Dundee got off to a winning start in their pre-season preparations as an Ethan Hamilton goal was enough to beat Hungarian lower-league outfit Dorogi.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Despite Steven Pressley's wish to end the high turnover of players every summer at Dundee, it is shaping up as another busy close season for the Dark Blues.

Defensive pair Billy Koumetio and Luke Graham are part of Pressley's squad at their training camp in Hungary but it doesn't look like they will be at the club much longer.

Charlton Athletic are intensely pursuing the services of Koumetio and a move to London could be sealed soon.

And with the list of potential suitors for Graham ever growing, it seems a case of when rather than if he moves elsewhere.

While Dundee will be well recompensed on the financial front, those departures will create more holes in the squad for Pressley fill, following the exits of key players such as Cameron Congreve, Tony Yogane (now at Aberdeen) and Jon McCracken.

A couple of new faces have already arrived - defender Idris Odutayo and midfielder Ryan Finnigan - and more will follow.

Pressley is assessing a raft of potential recruits at their Hungary base. Free agent keeper Luca Ashby-Hammond, Bournemouth defensive pair Harold William and Owen Bevan plus Burnley midfielder Adam McCoy are all being put through their paces with a view to a deal.

Since he checked into Dundee last summer, Pressley has proved he has an eye for a player. Dens Park fans will be hoping he can unearth a few more gems over the coming weeks.

Portsmouth and Stoke City are both locked in talks with Dundee over Luke Graham, with the Dens Park club seeking at least £2m for the centre-half for whom they rejected a £1.5m bid from Pompey in January. (Daily Record, external)

Charlton Athletic are close to an agreement to sign Dundee centre-half Billy Koumetio after several six-figure bids were rejected, with the 23-year-old keen on a return to England. (Daily Record, external)

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Dundee have rejected several six-figure offers from Charlton Athletic for 23-year-old central defender Billy Koumetio. (The Courier, external)

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Dundee have signed midfielder Ryan Finnigan from Blackpool for an undisclosed fee.

The 22-year-old made 10 appearances for Blackpool last season, either side of a 26-game loan spell at Walsall, where he scored four goals.

"Ryan is a player that we have pursued and monitored for the past 12 months and is has taken a lot of hard work from our recruitment team," manager Steven Pressley told club media.

"We also know there was strong interest in Ryan from other clubs in England, so we are obviously delighted to finally get him in the building.

"He most recently had a very successful loan at Walsall where I was able to witness first hand when watching my son, his qualities. He is a player we believe has a huge ceiling."

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Dundee were beaten 2-0 by Livingston in Saturday's pre-season friendly as Robbie Muirhead scored twice in the second half.

Manager Steven Pressley fielded a trialist in the first half and two more in the second, while also giving minutes to younger players in West Lothian.

The match was goalless until the 67th minute when Muirhead netted and he added another with nine minutes to play.

Livi are in the Scottish Championship this term after finishing bottom of last season's Premiership.

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Dundee have made former Bromley defender Idris Odutayo their first summer signing.

The left-sided player made 50 appearances last season to help Bromley secure their second promotion in three seasons as they reached League One, but left earlier this summer upon the expiry of his deal.

Odutayo, 23, has signed a two-year contract at Dens Park, with the option for a third.

Manager Steven Pressley told Dundee's official website: "He's a young player that we believe has great potential and growth. At 23 years of age, he has amassed an impressive amount of first-team games, which I believe is pivotal in young players' development.

"He has gained promotion in two league campaigns, which again is a very impressive statistic for one so young. I look forward to giving him the platform to continue this upwards trajectory."

Dundee hope to have a new goalkeeper in place for the weekend trip to Hungary, with head coach Steven Pressley saying negotiations with two options are "close". (The Courier), external

Head coach Steven Pressley says Dundee have received "plenty of phone calls" about Luke Graham this summer, but there has been no firm offers for the centre-half. (The Courier), external

Rangers are preparing to submit a formal offer for 22-year-old Dundee centre-back Luke Graham in the coming weeks. (Football Insider), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Bournemouth defenders Owen Bevan, 22, and Harold William, 19, are on trial with Dundee. (The Courier), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Portsmouth are pushing to hold talks with Luke Graham as they continue their interest in Dundee's 22-year-old centre-half. (Alan Nixon on Patreon), external

Monday's Scottish gossip

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Aberdeen have signed former Dundee loanee Tony Yogane on a deal until 2030, with the "really exciting prospect" joining for an undisclosed fee from Brentford.

The 20-year-old winger spent last season on loan at Dens Park - where he scored one goal and contributed five assists in 42 appearances - and Dons manager Stephen Robinson reckons he established himself as one of the best players in the Scottish Premiership.

Yogane began his career in Sheffield Wednesday's academy, then moved to Brentford and progressed through their B team, before a loan spell at Exeter City.

"Tony is a really exciting prospect," Robinson said.

"He is a player with huge potential, as he demonstrated during his time with Dundee last season, where he was one of the best players in the league.

"There were several clubs interested in Tony so it's a real coup for us to get him committed on a long-term deal.

"Tony has a real drive to improve, he's hungry to succeed and we believe this is the right environment to continue his development while helping push the club forward."

Yogane, who made League Cup appearances for Brentford under Thomas Frank, said: "After the season ended, my agent told me Aberdeen were interested and things moved forward quickly. This is the next step up for me.

"Aberdeen is a big club. I want to win things here. It is a big challenge after what happened last season, but we must go out and prove people wrong.

"When we played against Aberdeen last season, I just had a good feeling about the club. Especially when you see the size of the support. I can't wait to see the fans. Hopefully it is an enjoyable season."

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A new season brings new drama and an opportunity for city rivalries to renew once again.

Despite finishing in the bottom half of the table, both Dundee clubs successfully avoided the drop and will play at least three more derbies in this season's Premiership.

Last term they contested four derbies, United won two, Dundee won one and the other was a draw.

The Dundee pair are the first of the three rivals to meet this term as United host Steven Pressley's side at Tannadice on 22 August. There's a new year meeting at Dens Park on 2 January before another match at Tannadice on 13 March.

On 2 September, it's the turn of Hibernian and Hearts to go head-to-head in the first Edinburgh derby of the season.

Hearts won three out of four Edinburgh derbies last term, including the dramatic post-split game at Easter Road where Hibs, having gone a goal in front early on, found themselves reduced to nine men for almost a full half.

It's Hearts' turn to host on 26 December before another Easter Road meeting in the final pre-split game on 10 April.

The first Glasgow derby of the new campaign is on 20 September at Parkhead. The sides met six times across all competitions last term - Celtic won three, including both the cup matches, while Rangers won one and the other two ended in a draw.

The pair meet at Ibrox on 2 January before returning to Parkhead on 27 February.

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Rangers remain interested in Dundee centre-back Luke Graham, but the 22-year-old is attracting interest from over 40 clubs across the UK and Europe. (TeamTalk), external

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Dundee will host Everton in a pre-season friendly at Dens Park on Saturday, 18 July.

The match will kick off at 14:00 BST.

The Premier League side's visit will come in amongst Dundee's Premier Sports Cup first-round group fixtures.

Steven Pressley's team host Airdrieonians on 11 July, visit Annan Athletic on 14 July, travel to face Ross County on 21 July and welcome Clyde on 25 July.

Dundee, who finished ninth in the Scottish Premiership last season, also have friendly matches lined up with Livingston at Almondvale on 27 June and at home to Brechin City on 8 July.

David Moyes' Everton finished 13th in last season's Premier League.

A number of English clubs are interested in Emile Acquah after the 25-year-old out-of-favour Dundee striker's loan spell with Harrogate Town. (The Courier), external

Read Sunday's Scottish Gossip in full.