The Scottish Premier League club have described the suggestion as "an absolute joke" and have insisted that they had never heard of Braojas until the article appeared in Friday's back page of The Sun.

Dundee stress that they are delighted with the progress under Bonetti and that the Italian is already preparing for next season at Dens Park.

But the newspaper allegations arrive as two Italian players brought to the club by Bonetti have threatened to sue the club for breach of contract.

Patrizio Billio and Marco de Marchi have contacted the SPL, saying that they are being humiliated by being forced to train with the youth team and have been banned from leaving Dundee by the manager.

Under fire

Former Sampdoria, Torino and Grimsby Town midfielder Bonetti has been praised for bringing much Latin flair, including Argentine World Cup star Claudio Caniggia, to Dundee.

Yet his side must defeat Aberdeen on Saturday and hope that Dunfermline Athletic fail to gain a point at Kilmarnock if they are not to miss out on winning a top-six place by the time the SPL splits in two.

But a statement from Dundee stressed: "If, as the report suggests, Ivano Bonetti is under fire then it is from snipers from outwith Dens Park with their own agenda.

"We will go on record yet again to say that we have been delighted with the progress made both on and off the field since the managerial appointment of Ivano and Dario Bonetti.

"This latest work of fiction is an absolute joke but one that is in very poor taste.

Ambitious plans

"With no disrespect to Senor Braojos, we hadn't heard of him until we saw this back page story, so it goes without saying that no approach has or will be made by Dundee Football Club for him.