ATHLETIC have completed their second acquisition of the January transfer window by snapping up Ayr United midfielder Joe Chalmers.

The 28-year-old, who has previously turned out for Motherwell, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ross County, becomes manager John Hughes' third signing since taking charge at East End.

He has agreed an 18-month deal after the Pars paid an undisclosed fee for his services.

Dunfermline had been working on the deal this afternoon and have succeeded in getting it over the line, and Chalmers follows Steven Lawless and Coll Donaldson in being brought to the club by Hughes.

After beginning his career with Celtic, having come through their academy, Chalmers made his senior debut for the Hoops as a substitute in an SPL match with Inverness in 2012.

Following a brief loan spell with Falkirk in 2014, Chalmers was released at the end of the 2014/15 campaign, and signed for Motherwell on a two-year contract.

He remained at Fir Park until 2017, making 32 appearances, before joining Inverness.

Chalmers spent two seasons at the Caledonian Stadium, making 96 appearances, before leaving to join Highland rivals Ross County in 2019.

After little more than a year with the Staggies, however, he left in October 2020 to join Ayr, but has now departed the Honest Men for East End.

His move comes on the same day that the Pars announced the departure of full back, Kyle MacDonald, to Airdrie on loan for the remainder of the season.

READ MORE: Diamonds sign Pars defender MacDonald

Pars boss Hughes said: "I have seen Joe play for a number of clubs right away back to Celtic.

"He has experience of the league and we are a bit short of lefties on that left hand side. He brings a knowledge of the game, experience and he is a very very good footballer.
"You never see Joe getting flustered and he has a habit of passing it to his own teammates. I feel that he will be a fantastic addition to the team.

"I think he will fit right in and I really am looking forward to working him."

Chairman Ross McArthur added: "We would like to thank Graeme Mathie and Lee Bullen at Ayr United for the professional way the discussions were handled."

Meanwhile, Dunfermline's abandoned match at Kilmarnock has been rearranged for Saturday February 12.

The game, played on December 18 originally, was called off with just over an hour gone due to fog, with the scoreline at 1-1.

Following the game, Killie sacked manager Tommy Wright and subsequently replaced him with Derek McInnes, having also spoken to Kelty Hearts' Kevin Thomson about the vacancy.

The date is available due to being reserved for the fifth round of the Scottish Cup, a competition in which both teams have been knocked out.

The match at Rugby Park will have a 3pm kick off and Pars supporters who had already purchased a ticket for the original match will be able to reuse these for the rearranged date.

Elsewhere, former Dunfermline defender, Paul Watson, has joined Falkirk on an 18-month deal.

The centre back, who joins the League One Bairns for a second spell, left Dunfermline in October after his "employment with the club" was "ended by mutual consent".

He joins a Falkirk side that are fifth in League One, one point behind fourth-top Queen's Park, and 21 adrift of leaders Cove Rangers.