Aberdeen expect to lose head of recruitment Darren Mowbray to English side Southampton.
The Dons’ recruitment guru only started work at the club in September 2021, but is set to swap the north-east of Scotland for the south coast of England after being targeted by Saints – who will be relegated from the English Premier League to the Championship at the conclusion of the campaign.
There was concern among the Red Army when reports of Mowbray’s impending Aberdeen exit emerged on Friday evening.
The head of recruitment has been credited with unearthing forwards Luis “Duk” Lopes and Bojan Miovski – from Benfica’s reserves and MTK of Hungary, respectively – who both arrived last summer and have netted close to 40 goals between them for Aberdeen this term so far.
It is understood former Burnley, Leeds United and Middlesbrough scout Mowbray’s departure for Southampton is not yet a done deal, but Pittodrie chiefs do expect the 47-year-old to leave the club.
In fact, the Aberdeen hierarchy have already started the process of identifying a replacement for their outgoing head of recruitment, with chief executive Alan Burrows expected to be heavily involved in identifying suitable candidates, alongside other Dons figures.
Aberdeen’s summer rebuild transfer targets already identified
Some supporters expressed worries about Aberdeen’s head of recruitment departing just weeks before recently-confirmed permanent boss Barry Robson’s first summer transfer window as manager.
However, Reds bosses are not concerned by the timing of Mowbray’s exit.
Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Hearts laid bare the need to rebuild and add depth to the Reds playing squad ahead of next season
Aberdeen’s Premiership finishing position will naturally have a bearing on their summer business.
The Dons have another chance to secure third, and the potential European group-stage football riches which come with it, when St Mirren visit Pittodrie on Wednesday night.
But, continental cash boost or not, the Dons’ football department are understood to have already identified most of their transfer targets for the upcoming transfer window, with Mowbray and others establishing a plan of action over the past few months.
Another factor to be considered, should Mowbray’s exit for Southampton be confirmed, is his Aberdeen exit will not be immediate and there will be a notice period before his departure, during which time any necessary additional work on summer recruitment will be ongoing.
Aberdeen’s Darren Mowbray started after summer 2021 window
Mowbray, who is the brother of veteran English manager Tony Mowbray, was secured by Aberdeen in July 2021 as a replacement for transfer chief Russ Richardson, who left following long-time boss Derek McInnes’ sacking – although Mowbray only started work after the summer 2021 window had closed.
As a result, the head of recruitment only had one transfer window (January 2022) to work with Stephen Glass before he was axed, and two (summer 2022 and most of January this year) with Jim Goodwin before he suffered the same fate amid a nose-dive in form at the start of 2023.
While Duk and Miovski, as well as the likes of Kelle Roos, Ylber Ramadani, Leighton Clarkson (Liverpool loan), Mattie Pollock (Watford loan) and Angus MacDonald, have been influential signings for Aberdeen over what has been an up-down-then-up-again campaign, and have provided further evidence of the club’s willingness to cast their transfer net wide in search of talent, several other signings have made much less of an impression.
Willie Miller on the Aberdeen players occasionally practising selective hearing under managerial legend Sir Alex Ferguson😂…
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