Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell stressed that only outside solutions could give him more options in the transfer market as he responded to comments from former Fir Park striker Louis Moult.
Moult said in an interview with the Herald on Saturday that he has “unfinished business” at Motherwell after his return to the club was hampered by an injury.
The striker, who previously had a hugely successful spell at Motherwell between 2015 and 2018, cut his season-long loan short in January after undergoing ankle surgery after only making one start this season and scoring his 51st goal for club.
Moult, 31, is now a free agent after being released by Burton Albion and stressed that he is back in shape and has been training for about 12 weeks.
Kettlewell said: “I saw the article. I don’t know Louis very well. I’ve only been here with him for a couple of weeks, he obviously had an injury.
“He has an amazing track record and the fans love him here, but I don’t think Luis said anything was going on.
“It was about his relationship with the football club, his past and obviously there was frustration that he couldn’t offer too much in terms of being in the park with the injury he was wearing.
“I don’t think there’s anything in this story that can be read between the lines.”
That could, in theory, change when Kevin van Veen naturally draws interest after scoring 27 goals this season ahead of Wednesday’s penultimate Premier League game at Livingston.
The contracts of Jonathan Obiki, Jack Aitchison and Mikael Mandron are set to expire at the end of the season, while Connor Shields has a year left on his return from loan to Queens Park.
Kettlewell said: “Obviously we’re in a position where I’m happy with the roster, but I think everyone knows there can be obvious changes because of the guys who are out of contract and other people interested in our players.
“My job is to make sure Motherwell has the strongest group of players with the finances you have.
“Sorry to keep talking about money, but it comes down to a situation where you can be limited by what you have and the contracts that are already on offer and the guys that are already under contract.
“I mentioned that at this stage this is kind of the maximum value for the season.
“So how that happens over the next few weeks will probably depend on the decisions of the players, maybe the decisions of other football clubs, whether they offer money for our players.
“It doesn’t mean that Motherwell will accept it, but it is situations like this that will change the staff that we have at our football club.”