ROBBIE NEILSON has confirmed that Dundee United are keen to tempt former Celtic star Jonny Hayes and Dunfermline goal machine Kevin Nisbet to Tannadice.

Neilson hopes to add ‘four or five’ new faces to his squad ahead of United’s long-awaited Premiership return, with Finnish winger Ilmari Niskanen also on the radar.

Hayes, 33, is a free agent after leaving the Hoops earlier this month and has been linked with a return to Aberdeen as well as attracting interest from south of the border in the form of Stoke City and Cardiff City.  

United failed with a £400,000 swoop for Pars ace Nisbet in January but he remains a prime target after the 23-year-old notched 23 goals last term. 

Speaking on BBC Sportsound Neilson said: “Jonny [Hayes] has been a great player over the years and he is one that we have spoken about. 

“Kevin [Nisbet] is a player we had an interest in during January and couldn’t get the deal done after putting in a significant offer. He’s another on the list. 

“However, we are in uncertain times in terms of knowing what our budget is going to be. Can we do it? 

“I believe we need to strengthen the team and they are two players were are looking at and are interested in, however we’re not sure what we’ll be able to do.”

That doubt stems from the uncertainty surrounding when spectators will be allowed to attend fixtures amid the Covid-19 crisis. 

With a large portion of SPFL clubs’ finances reliant on gate receipts, Neilson concedes that it is difficult to do business until there is clarity on that factor.

He continued: “We would like to bring in four or five players and are probably looking to do that over the course of the next month or two, as we start to get guidance regarding when fans are allowed back in. 

“Whether it’s September, October, November, December - we can work off the back of that and budget.

“Scotland is a league, unlike the English Premier League, that need fans to come in to add revenue for the budget and we don’t know when that will happen.” 

And Neilson is adamant he would not lose any sleep if the ongoing financial uncertainty forced him to run with the same group that fired United to the Championship title. 

He added: “We have quite a strong squad at the moment. If we had to come back with what we’ve got then I’d be delighted, because other clubs will probably be in worse situations. 

“We’re coming back with 18 first-team players which is probably a lot more than many others.”