DUNDEE manager Paul Hartley was left powerless and frustrated after Oxford United signed his top scorer Kane Hemmings yesterday.
The Englishman hit the net 26 times for the Dens Park outfit last season, but departed after the newly-promoted English League One club activated his buyout clause, believed to be worth around £250,000.
Hemmings signed a three-year deal in Tayside last summer after previous spells at Rangers and Cowdenbeath, but Hartley revealed there was nothing he could do to prevent the 25-year-old from walking out after just one term.
"There was a clause that the club met and Kane wanted to speak to them," he said.
"Sometimes we can't do anything about that. That happens in football, where clauses go in to players' contracts."
"It's a big blow for us losing our top goalscorer. He's been a main player for us but there's not a lot we could do.
"Kane is ambitious, I had a good conversation with him and he wanted to try something different. He wanted to go back down the road near his family. Financially, it was something he couldn't knock back.
"We're disappointed but that happens sometimes, we have to move on quickly and hopefully find another Kane Hemmings."
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