Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes insists there will be no fire sale at Pittodrie this summer.
The Dons yesterday unveiled their football philosophy along with a renewed appeal to supporters to help the club’s aim of promoting youth, playing attacking football and competing for honours by buying season tickets and AberDNA memberships.
Dons chairman Dave Cormack stressed the short term aim of the club is survival as it deals with the financial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic on Scottish football but McInnes has warned potential suitors they will find now summer bargains at the club.
The Dons boss said: “The chairman has been quite clear on that. While we do accept as a club we have got some very good young players who attract plenty attention, and we would be naïve to believe we wouldn’t get offers in for any of our players this summer, the club is robust enough and strong enough not to have a fire sale and take any offer that comes.
“The chairman has been very clear on that. We have a value on players as a club and we don’t want to lose players unless it suits us and the deal has to be right.
“There is no point in me waking up every morning thinking I’m going to lose players. I’ve been in the game long enough to know good players attract attention and there is no point in concerning yourself with that.
“All my players are aware of the importance of having a successful campaign here and knuckling down with the job. If things change then we will look at that but we have players here under long contracts.
“We’ve got players here we feel we can develop and we will sell when we think it is the right time for Aberdeen, not because someone takes a fancy to a player.”
Jonny Hayes became the club’s first arrival of the summer when he put pen to paper on a two-year deal on Tuesday. Hayes is likely to be the only new face unless players move on from the Dons but McInnes says the deal to bring Hayes back to the club from Celtic would not have been possible without the player’s offer to defer wages for a year.
He said: “Things can change, players can move on, players can be sold and maybe there is an opportunity to do something but as we stand the squad is where we are and we’re not actively looking to add to it.
“If we lost players for any reason then we might be able to revisit that.”
On the return of Hayes McInnes added: “We’re seeing the same speed, ability and athleticism. He has played his part in winning trophies at Celtic Park and we are getting the same player but one even more experienced and possibly a better player all round.
“It’s a brilliant, unusual gesture but once Jonny made it he removed all the obstacles. Both he and his agent deserve a lot of credit for making this happen.”
