Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin is confident the club’s “great recruitment department” will help him build a strong squad this summer.
Aberdeen will play out the season in the Premiership bottom six for the first time since 2013.
In the bid to get the Reds back on track Goodwin will oversee a summer transfer window rebuild.
The Reds boss has targeted a summer swoop for St Mirren defender Charles Dunne.
Contracted until summer 2023, it would take a six figure sum to land Dunne from Goodwin’s former club.
Goodwin is also understood to be keen on Ipswich Town keeper Vaclav Hladky.
Wolves midfielder Connor Ronan, who is currently on-loan at St Mirren, is also on Goodwin’s radar.
Ronan, 24, is set to return to parent club Wolves at the end of the season.
Aberdeen appointed Darren Mowbray as head of recruitment in July last year.
Mowbray had been a senior member of English Premier League Burnley’s European and domestic recruitment set-up.
Goodwin insists he, Mowbray and the recruitment team have identified “really good targets” to bolster his squad.
He points to January signing Vicente Besuijen as proof of the good work already done by Mowbray and his recruitment team.
Winger Besuijen, 20, has made a positive impact since arriving on a four-and-a-half year deal from Dutch second tier ADO Den Haag.
Goodwin said: “We have a great recruitment department here.
“Vicente Besuijen is a product of that and we have identified some really good targets to come in the summer.
“We’re talking to a lot of people at the moment to try and strengthen the squad for next season.
“I have a budget I need to manage.
“I think the players we have identified will add quality to the squad next season.”
Ipswich Town keeper no longer No.1
Aberdeen beat off competition from a number of clubs to land Besuijen who was contracted to ADO Den Haag until summer 2023.
A former Ajax and Roma youth player, the winger made 30 appearances in the Dutch top-flight last season, scoring once.
Planning for a summer rebuild Goodwin had hoped to secure St Mirren keeper Jak Alnwick on a pre-contract.
Alnwick’s deal with the Buddies, Goodwin’s former club, expires at the end of the season.
Hibs are also keen on Alnwick but the 28-year-old looks set to sign with Championship Cardiff City.
It is understood Goodwin has now turned his attention to Ipswich keeper Hladky who he also previously managed at St Mirren.
Hladky left the Paisley club for Salford City in August 2020 and was named best keeper in League Two in his debut season.
The 31-year-old was also Salford’s Player of the Year and was named in the League Two Team of the Year.
That led to a transfer to Ipswich Town last summer for an undisclosed fee.
Hladky was first choice at Portman Road for the first half of this season.
However he lost his spot to Christian Walton following the arrival of new manager Kieran McKenna.
Hladky has not played for Ipswich since a 1-0 League One defeat of Wycombe Wanderers on December 29.
Golden Glove 🧤
24 clean sheets 🧼
Team of the Season ✅What a fantastic campaign for @VaclavHladky! #WeAreSalford 🦁🔴 pic.twitter.com/jhLkhYhxq5
— Salford City FC (@SalfordCityFC) May 8, 2021
Rebuild starts with players exiting
Goodwin has already begun his overhaul by terminating the contracts of Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Mikey Devlin.
Striker Emmanuel-Thomas was contracted until summer 2023.
Scotland international Devlin had a short term deal until the end of the season.
Devlin had not played all season due to long term injury.
A contract offer to long serving defender Andy Considine was withdrawn after talks broke down.
Scotland international Considine will leave the club at the end of the season.
Goodwin said: “All I can say to the supporters is that every decision I make will be in the best interest of the club.
“Time will tell whether those decisions are right or wrong.”
