Should Killie keep Danny Armstrong or sell before transfer window closes?

The club's talisman is out of contract next summer and he has made it clear to Derek McInnes that he intends to leave upon its expiry.

The question has been on everybody’s lips this summer - perhaps even longer.

Danny Armstrong has been tremendous for Kilmarnock FC, and the club has been fantastic for him. As has been well-documented, the 26-year-old went from being a dispensable squad player in the Championship to a key part of the first team under Derek McInnes.

In fact, let’s take it a step further. The former Raith Rovers and Ross County winger essentially went from potentially being released to becoming Killie’s best player.

It’s been quite the rise over the past three years for him at Rugby Park.

He earned a new contract in October 2022 after showcasing he had what it took to be a standout player in the Scottish Premiership. To be blunt, without his 12 goals and 10 assists that season and Killie would have likely been starring down the barrel at automatic relegation back to the second tier.

Armstrong followed that up with nine goals and 14 assists last term, as he met the demand set by the manager to prove he wasn’t a one-season wonder. After well over 3,200 minutes played across the top-flight season, he had an On-Ball-Value (OBV) of 0.47, making him one of the most productive players in the divisions. As touched upon in one of my Rugby Road Gates entries last year, OBV is defined as ‘An ability to differentiate between the value of different passes or actions within a possession chain that leads to a goal,’ according to our partner StatsBomb.

He caused problems to more or less every defence in the league, with every few left-backs getting the better of him over the piece. Last December, Greg Taylor in particular had a torrid time trying to contain him as Killie famously beat Celtic in a 2-1 comeback on home soil. Although the game ended in defeat, you could include Borna Barisic in that list too. The Croatian had to be hooked at half time that night as he couldn’t get remotely close to Danny.

That’s the thing. For all Danny is a goal threat and has a wicked cross on him, especially on his left, he’s developed a knack of striking the fear of god into his direct opponent. That sort of trait isn’t exactly coached. It comes from his incredibly strong self-belief and general bullishness that he’s the best player on the park - and he’s going to show it. It’s also worth mentioning that his penalty technique has been crucial to our fortunes in recent years too.

He scores, creates and as discussed, he has that X-Factor that sets him apart from his Killie teammates, and the opposition for the most part at a domestic level. The long and short of it is, despite a slow start this season, he remains the best player - or at least one of the best - on Killie’s books.

So, I suppose that brings us to addressing his current situation.

Armstrong is contracted until the summer of 2025. Despite the best efforts of the club, he will not be extending his deal. He’s made his position clear - he will leave for free next June as things stand.

“We had a couple of offers from Bolton a few weeks ago, but nothing since then,” McInnes told the Killie Chronicle during our exclusive sit down last month. “It seems to have gone quiet. Do we anticipate other offers? It’s anybody’s guess. It’s never a good thing having any of your regular players going into the last year of their contract.

“It’s something I want to try and avoid more often, but it’s through no fault of the club or myself. This is something that is out of our control. Danny doesn’t want to commit any longer and we’ve got to respect that.

“I’ve known Danny long enough and he respects us. He will give his all. He’s an infectious player, such a popular player with the supporters, staff and his teammates. It is what it is. If any offer comes in that makes us blink and think twice about holding onto him, then of course we have to consider that. It’s not something we’re encouraging and it’s not something that I particularly want to happen. I’m satisfied that Danny is comfortable with the situation playing for Kilmarnock going into his last year.

“I don’t see the situation changing. I’m not constantly phoning him or his agent to try and change his mind. A line in the sand has been drawn.

“We gave him a brilliant offer to stay. I’m delighted with the support we got from the club to try and get Danny to stay. Equally, it wasn’t enough, and sometimes it’s not always down to money, sometimes it’s about exploring other opportunities.

“I don’t really want to spend my whole season being asked about Danny, and I’m not saying you are, but we’ve offered him a contract, he’s rejected that, and he stays unless someone changes our mind.”