STUART McCALL has ruled out speculation linking Motherwell with a move for former striker Chris Porter.

With the Fir Park club raking in around £100,000 for their record European scorer Jamie Murphy from Sheffield United, talk had been rife that the ex-Fir Park hitman, who is currently on the books at Bramall Lane, could be heading back north.

But McCall has moved to dismiss that notion while also confirming that he is now in a position to use the free wage following Murphy's departure to strengthen in the transfer window or possibly via a loan move.

The Well gaffer said: "I do not know where this has come from, but we are not interested in Chris Porter.

"The sale of Jamie Murphy has meant that we do not need to sell anyone else and now have part of Jamie's wage with which we can look to add to the squad if the right player is available.

"That is something we will possibly explore over the next couple of weeks, but it could be we go down the loan avenue.

"But Porter is not at the end of the scale we are looking for and, in any case, would he improve what we already have at the club?

"The big positive is that although we have lost Jamie we do not need to sell anyone else."

With Jonathan Page also having signed permanently with Hamilton after a loan spell at New Douglas Park, McCall's coffers have been boosted by a further free wage while Fraser Kerr will now stay at Fir Park for the rest of the season.

But the Motherwell boss was also quick to confirm that there have been no fresh enquiries for any of his side since the window opened.

HE SAID: "There has been no enquiry for any of our players, other than Jamie, since Lech Poznan tabled a bid of £162,000 for Henrik Ojamaa a couple of weeks back, and they have not followed up on that. As I said, now that Jamie has gone we are under no pressure to sell any more of our lads."

When it comes to tabling new deals for his legion of out-of-contract stars, McCall says new deals will be offered before the window is out.

The Fir Park boss said: "We will be moving on that in the next few weeks, but it will probably be nearer the end of the windows that it will start to transpire."

With Murphy's departure having opened up a place in the starting line-up, McCall believes he has the competition for places to absorb the loss of the 22-year-old.

He said: "We have options and I am confident that some of the younger lads that are coming through will step up just like Adam Cummins did earlier in the season.

"As always when a big player leaves a club there is an opportunity for someone to come in and stake his claim. I am sure that over the coming months that will prove the case here.

"But we wish Jamie well and I am confident he can make a real success of himself at Sheffield United and that it will prove to have been the right move at the right time for him."