Boss Jim Goodwin has confirmed Aberdeen will wait until the end of the season to make a call on securing Hayden Coulson on a permanent contract.
Left-back Coulson is on a season-long loan deal from Middlesbrough.
The 24-year-old’s contract with the English Championship club expires at the end of the season.
Coulson will be free to talk with any interested clubs when the winter transfer window opens on January 1.
He could sign a pre-contract with a club in January or Coulson could also be available for free in the summer.
Goodwin has been impressed with Coulson who has been a regular first-team starter since arriving at Pittodrie.
However, the Dons boss insists parent club Middlesbrough are in the “driver’s seat” with Coulson’s future as they may want to extend Coulson’s contract.
Middlesbrough appointed Michael Carrick as new manager in October.
Carrick has been at the Riverside Stadium for just two months and will make a call on Coulson’s future at the club.
Goodwin said: “Hayden has done great and has a contract with Middlesbrough until the end of the season.
“They are obviously in the driver’s seat with regards to whether they want to extend that or not.
“He is one of the signings that we brought in during the summer that has been excellent.
“Hayden has been very consistent and defends well.
“He is also a very good attacking threat.”
Waiting game on Coulson’s future
Left-back Coulson has made 14 appearances this season, 12 starts, for the Dons.
He featured as a left-wing back from the start in the dramatic 3-2 Premiership loss to Rangers at Pittodrie on Tuesday.
Coulson is a product of the Middlesbrough Youth Academy system and racked up 49 appearances for the Championship outfit.
However, he last played for Middlesbrough in May 2021, in a 3-0 Championship loss to Wycombe Wanderers.
The left-back was sent on loan to Ipswich Town and Peterborough United last season.
However, the appointment of Carrick could potentially open up a route back to Middlesbrough.
Goodwin said: “We always want to sign good players and Hayden is obviously a very good player.
“So we will just have to wait and see what happens come the end of the season with that one.”
Aberdeen in talks with teenage stars
Meanwhile, Goodwin has also confirmed Aberdeen are in talks with two of the club’s hottest young prospects.
The Dons are in talks with highly rated teens Lewis Pirie, 15 and Fletcher Boyd, 14.
Celtic reportedly hope to sign striker Pirie while Rangers are also understood to be interested in Boyd.
Aberdeen teen star Pirie is on the radar of Premier League Everton and Championship title-chasing Sheffield United.
Everton watched the teenager score four goals for the Dons’ U16s in a recent 5-2 win over Dundee United.
Pirie’s stock rose even higher when scoring the winner for Scotland U16s in a 3-2 Victory Shield defeat of Wales.
Aberdeen chiefs are desperate to get Scotland youth international Pirie signed on pro-forms when he comes of age early next year.
Boss Goodwin recently drafted the striker in for a training session with the first team.
Pirie won the U16 Player of the Year at the Dons’ annual youth academy awards earlier this month.
Goodwin insists the Reds are in talks with all of the young stars they want to keep.
He hopes to have news on “two or three” in the coming weeks.
Goodwin said: “The Academy have been to some major tournaments in Europe.
“They have gone quite far in a number of them and won a couple as well.
“Some of the big teams have obviously taken notice of a few of the kids within the ranks.
“We are talking to all of the ones we want to keep.
“Hopefully we will have news on two or three of them in the coming weeks.
“I am not aware of them (Pirie and Boyd) speaking to other clubs.
“But I do know that we are in talks with them.”
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