By Jim Spence

Griffiths has trained with West Brom and Parma this season

Dundee have had a six-figure bid rejected by First Division rivals Livingston for striker Leigh Griffiths.

The Dens Park club on Thursday submitted a written offer for the 18-year-old despite having had a verbal offer refused 24 hours earlier.

Griffiths, who has scored 18 goals so far this season, trained recently with English Premier League club West Brom.

But manager Tony Mowbray said: "He is a boy who wouldn't be coming to go straight into our first-team squad."

Griffiths, a Scotland Under-19 international, was also among a group of young Livingston players sent to train with Italian club Parma as part of a potential development agreement between the clubs.

New Dundee director Calum Melville has promised manager Jocky Scott a 25% increase to his players' budget for next season as Dundee plan a promotion push after failing to challenge this term.

And they may have hoped to persuade the West Lothian club to cash in on Griffiths following a series of unsettling events at Almondvale.

Livi have been dogged this season with reports of unpaid debts - and late payments of wages - although chairman Angelo Massone has consistently rejected claims that the club has financial problems.

Manager Paul Hegarty and assistant Graeme Robertson were this week suspended with the club refusing to clarify the reasons behind that move.

Meanwhile, West Lothian Council has rejected Massone's claim that the club has an agreement to purchase their local authority-owned stadium.

The council says it will only enter into an agreement should the club meet stringent financial targets.

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