Caley Thistle saw the first positive signs in regards to the transfer market this week with our first incoming player of the summer.  After what's seemed like forever in the "will he, won't he" saga surrounding Andy Barrowman he's finally put pen to paper on a deal which will see's him contracted to ICT for the next 3 years.

This was offset however by news that Graham Bayne would be leaving for pastures new after agreeing a deal with Div 1's Dunfermline Athletic.

So...all in all, how are things shaping up "up front" for the Caley Jags?

Craig Brewster had an offer on the table for Dennis Wyness some months back, but for whatever reason, this was removed on the eve of signing with Craig Brewster claiming that the player had more to do to earn himself an extended deal at ICT. With no new deal being apparent Dennis made the decision to sign for SPL rivals St Mirren and left Tulloch Caledonian Stadium at the end of last season.

Graham Bayne is heading for pastures new at Dunfermline AFC next season, and whilst he is well respected among the fans for his "never say die" work ethic, he has struggled to hold down a regular starting position for the last couple of seasons and for that reason he'll be thanked for his efforts in getting the team where they are today and wished all the best for his future with the Pars.

Specualtion also remains high regarding the future of Marius Niculae at Inverness with his involvement in Euro 2008 for Romania sparking interest in the player from several quarters. Aside from the alleged interest of Dynampo Bucharest and Sporting Lisbon, there's also been rumour that some of our SPL Rivals have noted an interest in signing Marius for the 2008/09 season. With the club having made no formal statement regarding their opinions on the players future...be it a formal "For Sale" indicating their willingness to cash in, or an offer of an extension indicating they're realisation that they have a good thing and they are going to hold on to it if they can!!!

I couldn't help but feel that when Marius Niculae signed for ICT last summer it was one of those signings that would be a complete disaster or a total success. It's a decision that hung in the balance for most of the season as he battled to find full form after being out for a while and not having a pre-season under his belt. However, I'm sure few will deny that as the season came to a close we were starting to see the best of the player, and his inclusion in the Romanian Squad for Euro2008 cemented the fact that others were of similar opinion.

Sell him for a profit or extend his time at Caley Thistle? There's arguments that either would be considered a succesful move by the club, but when we're faced with a depleted attack force, bolstered only by a yet to be proven 2nd Div Striker then I can't help feeling that not even attempting to keep hold of someone of the calibre of Marius could be more expensive in the long run than any cash we could generate now.

The signing of Andy Barrowman who scored 29 goals for 2nd Division Champions Ross County last season could turn out to be another of those "hit or miss" signings for us. There's little doubt that with his recent goal scoring record he knows where the net is, but the question remains as to whether he can reproduce anything like that in the SPL.

It's a signing that I'm sure a lot more people would be comfortable with if we had some reassurance that he'd have some experience alongside him next season, but with our most experienced SPL Strikers (Wyness and Bayne) having left the club and the uncertainty over us retaining the services of Marius Niculae, it currently means that we would be drawing on youth and potential to not only maintain last years finishing position, but to push us forward as a club.

Only time will tell if the movement on the strikers front will equate to forward motion for the club. I have to say that I'm feeling extremely nervous of the situation at the moment and the club have some very big decisions to make over the next few weeks....decisions that could be the making or breaking of ICT next season in a league that's only getting increasingly more competitive.