Former Don Eric Deloumeaux has offered to help Aberdeen search France for top signing targets.
The Dons are scouring Europe for talent as part of manager Jim Goodwin’s summer transfer window rebuild.
Ex Pittodrie defender Deloumeaux is an agent and scout in France and wants to help the Dons land talent from his home country.
Aberdeen’s search overseas has already yielded Albanian international midfielder Ylber Ramadani.
A fee of £100,000 has been agreed with Hungarian club MTK Budapest for the 26-year-old holding midfielder.
Ramadani has agreed a two-year deal with an option for a third subject to a work permit.
Now Deloumeaux, 49, who played for Aberdeen from 2002 to 2004 wants to help Goodwin land top talent from France.
He said: “In France I am involved in scouting and am a players’ agent as well.
“I help find good players.
“Maybe I could help Aberdeen with that by bringing some French players to the club.
“I would be really happy to help Aberdeen in that way to scout in France.”
Dons searching Europe for signings
Aberdeen have extended their search for signings across the continent.
In January winger Vicente Besuijen was secured for £420,000 from Dutch second tier side ADO Den Haag.
Aberdeen Head of Recruitment Darren Mowbray has racked up the air miles in recent months in the hunt for signings.
Amongst the countries Mowbray has travelled to are Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Norway and Poland.
Aberdeen have active summer transfer window signing targets in Europe.
Aberdeen to ramp up bid for Scales
The Dons are also closing in on transfer targets closer to home and will ramp up their interest in Celtic defender Liam Scales this week.
Aberdeen are keen to secure the 23-year-old left sided defender who signed on at Celtic from Shamrock Rovers last summer.
Scales has made only 13 appearances for Ange Postecoglou’s Premiership champions.
Aberdeen would prefer a permanent move but it is understood they are open to a loan to buy deal.
Ross McCrorie was signed from Rangers in summer 2020 on a similar deal.
Versatile defender/midfielder McCrorie arrived on an initial season long loan with part of the deal that the move became permanent a year later.
Goodwin’s summer window rebuild
Aberdeen are also keen on a loan move for Wigan Athletic attacking midfielder Jamie McGrath.
Republic of Ireland international McGrath knocked back a bid by Aberdeen to sign him in January in favour of moving from St Mirren to Wigan.
However the 25-year-old has struggled to command regular game time at the League One champions.
Aberdeen boss Goodwin previously managed McGrath at St Mirren.
Goodwin also refused to rule out a summer swoop for Ipswich Town keeper Vaclav Hladky.
Aberdeen have also enquired about St Mirren’s left sided defender Charles Dunne.
However St Mirren are understood to have placed a £350,000 price tag on the 29-year-old who is contracted until summer 2023.
Hearts in pole position to land Ronan
Dons gaffer Goodwin is also interested in Wolves midfielder Connor Ronan who was on loan at St Mirren last season.
Ronan has two years left on his contract at Wolves.
He has had six loan spells. Ronan is available for another loan move and it is understood Wolves are also willing to sell him for £500,000.
Hearts are also interested in Ronan and are understood to be favourites to secure the midfielder as the Tynecastle club can offer European football until Christmas.
The lure of Europe for signing targets
Deloumeaux is disappointed that Aberdeen failed to secure European qualification for the first time since 2014.
Instead the Dons will kick off their season next month in the Premier Sports Cup group stages against Raith Rovers, Peterhead, Dumbarton and Stirling Albion.
Based in France, the former FC Gueugnon and Le Havre defender is open to helping the Dons secure talent that could deliver European action again.
He said: “I hope Aberdeen get into Europe again soon.
“It would be great if they could qualify for Europe and then land a French team so that I can go watch them.
“Scottish football is doing well in Europe again which is good for the country.
“Hopefully Aberdeen will be back playing at that level soon.”
UEFA Cup action for French defender
Deloumeaux understands the lure guaranteed European action has in attracting new signings.
In summer 2002 Dons boss Ebbe Skovdahl brought the defender to Pittodrie in a £50,000 transfer from Motherwell.
Aberdeen could offer UEFA Cup action when Deloumeaux signed.
Deloumeaux made his Aberdeen debut when starting in a 2-1 away defeat of Hibs in League action on August 3 2002.
Two weeks later he started in the 1-0 UEFA Cup qualifying round first leg defeat of Nistru Otaci (Moldova) at Pittodrie.
The Dons drew 0-0 in Moldova to set up a first round clash with German Bundesliga outfit Hertha Berlin.
Heartache for Aberdeen in Berlin
Aberdeen held Hertha 0-0 in the first leg at Pittodrie on September 17, which Deloumeaux started.
In the return leg in Germany Hertha Berlin suffered a blow when midfielder Andreas Neuendorf was shown a red card in the first half for a head butt.
However the Dons were also reduced to 10 men in the second half when Deloumeaux was dismissed.
With just two minutes remaining German veteran Michael Preetz scored a late winner.
Deloumeaux said: “I really enjoyed playing for Aberdeen as it is a club that allowed me to play in the UEFA Cup.
“That was really important in my career, it was the highlight of my time at the club.
“We also had games against Rangers and Celtic at full stadiums which was amazing.”
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