MORTON are running the rule over a former youth team player from an MLS side.

The Tele understands Robel Dent, a winger who can play on both sides of the pitch as well as also being accustomed to the right-back role, has been training with the Ton at Parklea since the end of last week.

The 23-year-old played with the Seattle Sounders under-23 side earlier this year, who finished second in the Western Conference and won the MLS cup back in 2016.

Morton manager Jonatan Johansson is understood to be keeping a close eye on the Ethopian-born Scot, who was raised in Scotland and is understood to hold an EU passport.

Dent left the American west coast team in the summer, trying his luck in Germany with SG Eintracht Bad Kreuznach, who ply their trade in the sixth tier of German football.

The winger chipped in with three goals in 12 appearances for the German side, before finishing his time with the club earlier this month.

The versatile 23-year-old is one of a number of players the Finnish manager keeping tabs on as the January transfer window nears.

With the possibility of Motherwell winger Ross MacLean returning to parent club in the January window, as well as only having one natural right-back in the first team squad in Reghan Tumilty, Dent could prove to be a usual addition to the Morton squad.

The Finn has previously stated he has been keen to rebalance the squad, and with a number of players out injured currently.

This will be Johansson’s first transfer window at the club, after joining the Greenock outfit back in September after Ray McKinnon left the club after three months in charge.

As such he inherited the entire squad of players, and this will be the first chance he has to put his own stamp on the squad.

Prior to the window opening however, the former Rangers and Finland international side’s number two made a move to extend young centre-back Kerr Waddell’s loan deal at the club.

The 20-year-old was signed on an initial six-month period from Dundee in the summer, but that was extended last month until the end of the season.

The Morton manager admitted previously that budget constraints will impact his movement in the transfer market next month.

He previously told the Tele: ““I think every manager always wants to freshen up his squad when the opportunity arrives, whether it’s in January or the summer.

“There are certain areas where we are short of players, and there are certain areas that are top heavy. We would of course like to manoeuvre.

“Of course before we do that we need to make sure the finances is alright, and the players [we have] can determine if and when we can bring someone in, and that is still the case.

“In January the budget is reduced in the summer, and that’s why the January window you need everything in place before you can go about making changes, and that’s not the case yet.”

Watch him in action here.