Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass insists he’s looking to add to his squad, as he hopes for Euro win boost

Aberdeen manager Stephen Glass knows the backing is there for him to add to his squad but the Dons boss hopes qualification for the group stages of the UEFA Conference League can lead to the purse strings loosening further at Pittodrie.

The Dons were unsuccessful in a £500,000 bid for Hibernian attacker Martin Boyle on Monday with the Edinburgh club moving quickly to keep the Australian international at Easter Road by securing him on a new extended deal until 2024.

Aberdeen’s search for striking reinforcements moves on and, while Glass refused to comment on Boyle specifically, the manager is still looking to add to his squad before the window closes on August 31.

He said: “I don’t want to talk about players at other clubs. If we don’t get the targets we want, we move on to the next one. I’m specifically not going to name names.

“We know what we’ve got and where we’d like to strengthen. Any manager would want to strengthen.

“We’ve got a good group of players. Before there was a head of recruitment, we did a lot of work as a staff to bring players in.

“I think our judgement has proved to be pretty sound. Now that Darren (Mowbray) is in, he’s helping with that as well and heading that up.

“Obviously, we’ve got a big input in it as well, but it allows us to concentrate on the games a little bit more.

“We’re still heavily involved in that recruitment process, but budgets don’t win you games; good players do. Determination does, the right tactics do, and I think that’s going to continue to be the aim.

“The backing we’ve had so far has been great.”

The search for new players is continuing, but with £2.5 million at stake in the playoff round against Qarabag, Glass knows his hopes of adding to his squad could be further bolstered should the Dons progress at the Azerbaijan side’s expense.

The Dons boss, who is in Baku with his side for Thursday’s first leg (5pm), said: “Any cash that comes in is spread throughout the club, but we can affect how much comes in by getting to the group stages, then it gives you a little more scope to go asking for more to strengthen the group.

“But we know there’s backing from the chairman and the board if we can present the right options, so it’s important we continue to present the right options.

“At the start of the transfer window, you want to come out of it stronger. That’s going to continue to be the aim.

“If you continue to win games and end up in the group stages, it maybe gives us a little more power to ask for that.

“Historically there’s been backing at this club. It shows a belief also as a staff we can present the right options.”