Odds say Dundee United are set for January signing spree

Dundee United have been priced up as favourites to be the busiest Ladbrokes Premiership side over the January transfer window according to the league sponsors.

The bookies have opened a market on which of the sides will sign the most players over the course of the month and the division’s bottom club are priced up as 6/1 jollies.

Mixu Paatelainen has wasted no time in clearing out the deadwood at Tannadice since taking over from Jackie McNamara in October, relieving three players of their duties at the club.

Striker Ola Adeyemo this week saw his contract terminated after the on-loan duo of Adam Kuhl and Adam Taggart were sent back to their parent clubs.

Injury-hit striker Mario Bilate also left the club while Darko Bodul was told he could look for another side.

The Terrors are seven points adrift at the foot of the table, and if Paatelainen is to avoid taking the club down for the first time in 21 years, new additions could be vital.

The chasing pack in Ladbrokes’ special market are all closely bunched with four clubs all available at 7/1.

While the Arabs are the favourites, one of those joint-second-favourites are tipped to easily out-spend their divisional rivals.

Celtic are priced up as 1/2 to spend the most money on a single player in the market.

Looking back over the past four seasons, just 15 players have been signed in this particular window by Premiership sides, nine of them heading to Parkhead.

In fact, of the top three fees paid in the last two campaigns, and the two players signed for cash in 2012-13, the Bhoys dished out six of them.

That could make the odds-on option the smartest of the lot, especially with Ronny Deila’s men perhaps not running away with the league as many would have expected.

As far as going into the window all guns blazing, it looks less likely for the Glasgow outfit, with a price of 33/1 on offer that they break the £12m record with a winter signing.

With things looking wide open in the race for the title, it could be that some astute signings could be the catalyst for the 1/50 favourites to push on and claim their 48th title.

Full Ladbrokes betting:

To sign the most players

Dundee United – 6/1

Aberdeen – 7/1

Celtic – 7/1

Hearts – 7/1

Motherwell – 7/1

Dundee – 8/1

Kilmarnock – 10/1

Partick Thistle – 10/1

Ross County – 10/1

St Johnstone – 10/1

Hamilton – 12/1

To pay the highest price

Celtic – 1/2

Aberdeen – 10/1

Dundee United – 10/1

St Johnstone – 10/1

Hearts – 12/1

Motherwell – 14/1

Inverness – 20/1

Dundee – 25/1

Ross County – 25/1

Hamilton – 33/1

Any club in Scotland to break the £12m transfer record – 33/1

Rangers to sign a Celtic player (permanent signings only) – 10/1

1. All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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