Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin has revealed he is targeting experienced players aged between 24 to 28 in the summer transfer window.
Goodwin is impressed with the young talent emerging at Pittodrie such as Calvin Ramsay, Connor Barron and Jack MacKenzie.
However he reckons there is a lack of seasoned campaigners in their mid to late 20s.
He aims to add that experience during the summer rebuild.
Goodwin hopes to secure Wolves’ 24-year-old midfielder Connor Ronan.
Wigan Athletic’s Republic of Ireland international attacking midfielder Jamie McGrath, 25, is also a summer transfer target.
Goodwin said: “We don’t have enough players in the squad between 24 and 28.
“That’s something that we’re looking to improve.
“We are not going to be able to sign a whole load of 20 and 21 year olds.
“Those players from 24 to 28 are needed as well.”
Active transfer targets across Europe
Aberdeen’s recruitment team are also scouring Europe for young talent such as Netherlands winger Vicente Besuijen.
The Reds have active overseas summer transfer targets.
The Dons splashed out £420,000 to secure Besuijen from Dutch second tier club ADO Den Haag.
Besuijen was signed on a four-and-a-half year contract.
The winger’s capture is an example of Aberdeen’s recruitment philosophy.
A strategy of signing young talent, developing them and potentially selling on at a profit following a few successful years in the first team.
Goodwin accepts there has to be a balance between youth and experience in the squad.
He insists securing seasoned campaigners is key in the summer transfer window rebuild.
Experienced players exit Pittodrie
Six of the club’s more experienced players have exited since Goodwin was appointed manager in mid February.
Scotland international Andy Considine (35), Funso-King Ojo (30) and Dylan McGeouch (29) will all exit following the conclusion of their contracts.
The contracts for Mikey Devlin (28) and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (31) were terminated early.
Former captain Scott Brown (36) left Aberdeen in early March to concentrate on his coaching career.
Brown is now manager of League One Fleetwood Town.
Talks ongoing with signing targets
Aberdeen have been locked in talks with signing targets in recent weeks.
Boss Goodwin hopes to have the vast majority of his recruitment completed before returning for pre-season training in mid June.
Aberdeen kick off the season on the weekend of July 9/10 in the Premier Sports Cup.
They were drawn in Group A alongside Raith Rovers, Peterhead, Dumbarton and Stirling Albion.
Goodwin said: “We need to be signing players who want to come here and do well for Aberdeen for two or three seasons.
“Players that also have ambitions of kicking on to bigger and better things, if that’s possible.
“That’s pretty much the kind of profile of player that I’ll be looking for.
“But at the same time I like working with younger players that are hungry, want to improve and want to learn.
“That is all part and parcel of the recruitment side of things.
“We’ve also got some great young players coming through.
“Although it was a very disappointing season for the club, there were some rays of light to come out of it.
“The positives have definitely got to be the likes of Calvin Ramsay and Connor Barron and one or two of the other younger ones who have featured this season and done extremely well.”
What Goodwin wants from signings
In the bid to rebuild the Dons, Goodwin also recently refused to rule out a move for Ipswich Town keeper Vaclav Hladkly.
Goodwin recently spoke of his admiration for the Czech Republic stopper.
Hladky played for 18 months under Goodwin at St Mirren before transferring to English League Two side Salford in 2020.
He was named League Two keeper of the season in his debut campaign with Salford.
That led to a move to League One Ipswich Town last summer.
Hladky was initially first choice keeper but has not started for the Portman Road side since December.
The 31-year-old is contracted to Ipswich until summer 2024.
St Mirren left-sided defender Charles Dunne, 29, is also on Goodwin’s radar.
Another fundamental to the profile of any signing target will be players who are ready to graft, learn and improve.
Goodwin said: “I want hard-working players who are willing to learn and willing to listen.
“The players need to be willing to do that.”
