Jonny Hayes is set to become Aberdeen’s first signing of the summer after agreeing terms of a two-year deal.
The former Don will complete his return to the club this week subject to passing a medical.
Aberdeen are in discussions with employees about temporary wage cuts due to the coronavirus but it is understood Hayes, who moved to Celtic three years ago in a £1 million deal, has made a significant financial sacrifice to secure his return to the club and is set to head north to finalise the deal.
Hayes’ imminent arrival comes as Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has expressed his desire to repay the backing of the Dons support by “reigniting the fire” this season.
More than 6,500 supporters have bought season tickets to help the club combat the financial challenges it faces due to the coronavirus pandemic.
While it could be 2021 before fans are able to return to Pittodrie, the Aberdeen manager wants to produce a team which is both dynamic and entertaining.
He said: “I want to try to reignite the fire this season and make sure we have plenty of speed and pace about the team.
“We are looking forward to that first game back and even more to that first game at Pittodrie where we have our support behind us.
“We want to have a team at home supporters want to come and watch. We said that when we first came in.
“Last season was a challenge and it wasn’t the most enjoyable but we need to get back to being a strong home team.
“Hopefully once we do get that crowd back into Pittodrie we can see the evidence of that.”
The pandemic has hit hard economically at Pittodrie with Dons chairman Cormack estimating the final bill could be as high as £10 million due to last season ending early and the new campaign set to start behind closed doors.
Despite the club facing a challenging period, McInnes has drawn solace by the support shown by the fans of the Dons.
He said: “It has not been easy for everyone.
“The club have furloughed a lot of staff but the staff who haven’t been furloughed have been working every hour.
“Working in tandem with support and the wider community we have done a lot of good work.
“Now that we can see the season on the horizon now and we have something to work towards it starts to whet the appetite.
“We know everybody’s circumstances are different and there are challenging circumstances to get through both financially and maybe medically.
“But I do think Aberdeen supporters have really came forward.
“Buying season tickets and showing they are all behind the team gives us all huge encouragement.
“The players have been very professional throughout in working towards this and the supporters have been the same.”
