David Martindale says it's been a 'difficult window' as he looks to build squad for Premiership opener

David Martindale says it has been a “difficult window” for Livingston as he looks to get his squad ready for the Premiership.

The manager says he has had to juggle budget cuts with a host key players leaving but insists he is confident he will have the team ready to improve on last season’s seventh place finish.

Mikey Devlin has been brought in from Hibs with another few in the pipeline as Martindale says he has had to be more creative with the budget handed to him.

But he also insists it’s nothing new and something he well used to now in his time in the dugout as Livi continue to punch above their weight in the top-flight.

He said: “It’s been a difficult window to be honest, we have had to shave a considerable bit of the budget which has made recruiting players a little bit more difficult, it’s probably made me a little bit more creative in terms of who I am trying to bring in and where I am trying to bring them in from.

“We’ve lost probably six or seven targets to other clubs within the Premiership, I’m extremely happy with what we have brought in, we want to be active and I have another two or three I want to bring in.

“We will probably need to move another two or three on to balance the books. So fairly happy where we are, but I am still going to be active right up until the end of August.

“It has been the most difficult in terms of what we have lost, but it happens every year, we lost two or three and have to do a rebuild.

“This year alone we have lost at least three players who have played a huge part in the club over the last few years and trying to replace them is not easy with the finances involved.

“It’s been a difficult window but we are very used to it by now and we are fairly happy where we are as a squad.”

Livingston finished seventh in the Premiership last season and will kick-off this campaign at home to Aberdeen after three League Cup group stage games.

They play Brechin away on Saturday before hosting Hamilton the following week then away Cove Rangers and finishing off the group stage at home to Clyde.