Jim Goodwin admits the pull of the Premiership has helped tempt transfer targets to Tannadice this summer.
The Dundee United boss is overseeing a big rebuild to his squad after winning promotion from the Championship last season.
Goodwin has already added six new players in Dave Richards, Will Ferry, Vicko Sevelj, Ryan Strain and Kristijan Trapanovski with keeper Jack Walton returning on loan.
The manager completed his due diligence on all of them, backed up by one-to-one Zoom calls, but he acknowledged that his job was made easier by United being in the top tier once more.
Goodwin said: “I was speaking to players in January. That is when we are allowed to talk to players coming out of contract.
“I have been in dialogue with players and agents since then. You try to build up that rapport with the player.
“There is only so much you can say to an agent. They are there to deal with the finances and to make sure the deal is okay for his player.
“From my point of view, it is important I get to know the player.
“Zoom has been brilliant for that. The Zoom calls have been really beneficial and you get a better feel for each other.
“They can also get a feel for me and the ambitions of the club. It is not something we leave to chance.
“We do our homework, get references and then we scout them or get to watch them.”
Goodwin added: “January is just declaring your interest. Dundee United is a big club with good prestige but recruitment this year has been a lot easier because we are in the Premiership than it was in the Championship.”
Goodwin relishing rebuild
Fifteen players left Tannadice at the end of last season but instead of being daunted by the rebuilding process, Goodwin admits it is something he enjoys.
The Irishman has completed an overhaul before when he took charge at St Mirren in 2019 but this time at United he insists he is “ahead of the game” in terms of business done.
The 42-year-old added: “At St Mirren that season, a lot of the players were going out the door and we had to act quickly.
“We had very little time and we had three or four weeks before the first game came up in the League Cup.
“This time around, we are way ahead of the game. I enjoy that rebuilding process. It is an opportunity to put a stamp on things and to bring in my own players that fit the profile of what we are looking for.
“I have worked well with Michael (Cairney), our head of recruitment, to find good quality players and I think we have done that.
“We’ve got a good database of players and it is now about finding the right ones that fit the budget.
“It is not a bottomless pit and we have to manage that side of it as well. The business we have done has been really good.”
