Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin insists this summer is a one-off and there will be no more transfer window rebuilds.
The Dons have splashed almost £1 million in transfer fees this summer to bank-roll Goodwin’s extensive squad overhaul.
Six players have been signed and Goodwin confirmed up to another four could be added.
So far 14 players have exited Pittodrie since Goodwin took over the reins in February – and more could yet leave this summer.
Goodwin is in the middle of reconstructing a squad who crashed to a 10th-placed Premiership finish last season.
It was the club’s lowest league finish since 2004.
The Dons boss hopes this summer will be the last where such dramatic surgery is required and there will be no more major squad overhauls on his watch.
He reckons this rebuild, though, will have Dons’ supporters ‘optimistic and excited’ about the upcoming season.
Goodwin said: “I hope it is a one-off.
“It had to be done.
“We have identified a number of other targets.
“Discussions are ongoing with Steven Gunn (Director of Football) and the chairman (Dave Cormack) with those players and their representatives.
“I’m hoping to get three or four in.
“And I would expect maybe one or two to go the other way.
“I think the supporters are now starting to see what we are trying to do, which is the most important thing.
“They obviously had an extremely disappointing season last season.
“But I think they can look at the quality and age limit of players we are bringing in.
“And they can be optimistic and excited for what’s to come.”
Six players signed and more to come
Aberdeen paid transfer fees to Hungarian club MTK Budapest for striker Bojan Miovski (£535,000) and midfielder Ylber Ramadani (£100,000).
They also signed right-back Jayden Richardson (£300,000) from Premier League new boys Nottingham Forest.
Arriving on free transfers following the conclusion of their contracts were defender Anthony Stewart (Wycombe Wanderers) and keeper Kelle Roos (Derby County).
Defender Liam Scales was secured on a season-long loan from Premiership champions Celtic.
Scales is unavailable for the league opener away to parent club Celtic on Sunday July 31 due to the terms of his loan deal.
Goodwin has confirmed he aims to launch a bid to secure Scales on a permanent deal in the January transfer window.
Aberdeen had tried to push through a deal to sign Scales permanently this summer, but Celtic were not open to selling.
Scales was signed from Shamrock Rovers by Celtic for £500,000 last summer and still has three years left on his Parkhead contract.
Goodwin said: “I think we have done really well up to now.
“When you look at what our competitors have done we are ahead of most and on a par with a couple of teams at the top in terms of who has been busiest.
“It is not about rushing them through.
“I could have signed 100 players by now, but we have set our sights on certain individuals.
“The players we have signed, the majority of them have been attached to other clubs.
“Those transfer negotiations can take a lot more time than would normally happen with a free agent.”
‘Big competition’ expected by gaffer in this Premiership campaign
Goodwin is confident he will have built a strong, competitive squad by the start of the campaign.
He knows he will need to because the Dons boss expects ‘big competition’ in the Premiership.
Goodwin said: “We have big competition in the league this year.
“Hearts will obviously be looking to do what they did last year.
“Hibs have strengthened and improved and have a good manager in Lee Johnson, who I know well.
“Dundee United are up there and Graham Alexander is doing well at Motherwell.
“It is going to be a hell of a competitive league.
“However, I believe that the decisions we have made in terms of the staff behind the scenes and also the players are the right ones.
“And we just need to quickly integrate them and make them all gel
“Hopefully that will bring us the success that we all want on the park.”
Difficult decisions made in rebuild
As well as signing players in the summer, Goodwin also wielded the axe with 14 players leaving.
Long-serving defender Andy Considine exited Pittodrie after 18 years in the first team.
A deal was taken off the table for the Scotland international defender after talks broke down.
Considine subsequently signed with Premiership rivals St Johnstone.
Goodwin said: “I have to believe all the decisions I made were the right ones for the right reasons.
“I was upfront and honest with every individual involved with those discussions.
“The majority that left, I was on great terms with them when they did.
“They are difficult decisions that any manager in any industry has to make.
“And I made them all for the right reasons.”
