Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes will put quality ahead of quantity in the transfer market this summer.
Caley Thistle captain Graeme Shinnie will be the first new recruit to the Pittodrie cause next month when he officially becomes a Dons player after he agreed a pre-contract on a three-year deal in January.
But with captain Russell Anderson retiring following Sunday’s final game of the season against St Johnstone and Joe Shaughnessy, Clark Robertson, Declan McManus and Andrew Driver moving on to pastures new, McInnes is searching for further reinforcements to his first-team squad.
However, the Dons manager believes his squad, which finished second in the Scottish Premiership, is already in good health for the next campaign.
He said: “We’re looking to bring in good players to the current squad but we have the majority of our squad signed up and we’re delighted about that.
“We’ve got Graeme Shinnie coming in which we are looking forward to and, while we’re still looking at bringing in another two or three, we’re very pleased with what we have here.”
The Dons broke with their recent history of signing free agents when they paid St Mirren for midfielder Kenny McLean on transfer deadline day and the Aberdeen manager has not ruled out loosening the purse strings again in the close season.
He said: “I’m not told what there is to spend. I have a budget for salaries which I work within and we try to get the best value we can.
“We spent £175,000 on Kenny in January and I thought it was good business for us to go and get a talented young player.
“That scenario is always open if I go to the chairman and the board and give reasons why we should compete for a young player and I stress the word young, who has the talent and potential to be sold by Aberdeen for a bigger fee.
“No one has said to me there is money to spend but if I spot someone I won’t be afraid to knock on the chairman’s door. Whether I get a yes or no is another matter.”
Aberdeen’s transfer spending remains frugal in comparison to champions Celtic, who spent £2million in strengthening their squad in January, but McInnes remains optimistic his team can compete despite the financial gulf between the clubs.
He said: “Celtic have the resource but that’s par for the course for us. All we can do is try to improve and there is no point bleating about it.
“We just get on with it and try to be as competitive as we can despite the vast difference in resource at the respective clubs.”