Dean Shiels is remaining tight-lipped over Joel Cooper's move to Coleraine. Linfield star Cooper has already agreed a pre-contract with the Bannsiders and looks set to make the move at the end of this season.

However, speculation has been mounting that Coleraine are keen to bring the 28-year-old to the Showgrounds during the January transfer window.

David Healy last week warned any club wanting to buy Cooper in January they'll have to pay £1 million for the coveted winger.

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When asked to offer an update on any potential developments on Thursday, Coleraine manager Shiels told the BBC: "I won't be commenting on any other team's players at the moment. If we do announce a signing it will be on the social media channels.

"One thing I won't do is make points on other clubs via the media. I am really good friends with David Healy, and I respect Linfield and what they are doing.

"We are building a team for the future here. We have plans for January and for June. We have had six weeks to build a team in the summer, so we are constantly looking to add and improve in all aspects of the club.

"We are excited in the way the club is going. We are working hard on January signings, and once we have something to announce we will announce them on the social media channels."

Another player Coleraine have been linked with is Northern Ireland international Gavin Whyte.

When asked about the prospect of Whyte signing for the Bannsiders, Shiels said: "We want to attract the best players to the club. That's something we spoke about in the summer.

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"There were 3,000 fans here today. This is a powerful club.

"If we can get us going in the righ direction with the full-time format and add the right bit of quality, then there is no doubt we can be successful."

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