Boss Barry Robson has revealed Aberdeen are already working on plans to strengthen in the January transfer window.
However the Reds gaffer insists it will only be a tweak to his squad as there will be no more rebuilds on his watch.
Robson signed 13 players in a major summer transfer window squad overhaul to get the Dons ready for European group stage action.
He insists he is trying to construct a “settled team” that will “go for another few years”.
Robson also hopes to develop some first team stars to the level where they have a major “resale value”.
Robson said: “We have people who are looking at January now.
“It is a continuous thing, looking at players.
“I’m personally at the minute not but there are other people doing that.
“One thing you can’t do is you can’t get everything in one go – and that is fact.
“That’s why there are other things that we will try and we will need to wait for the window, then the next and the next.
“We try to build the club slowly and the board have backed me with that.
“You need to be patient but we know where we are going.”
No more major squad rebuilds
In an extensive rebuild 17 first team players exited Pittodrie in the summer with 13 signed.
Of those new additions 10 were permanent, with three loan additions – Rhys Williams (Liverpool), Or Dadia (Hapoel Be’er Sheva) and Stefan Gartenmann (FC Midtjylland).
Robson has already confirmed he wants to retain centre-back Gartenmann beyond his season-long loan deal from Danish top flight club FC Midtjylland.
The numbers are a reduction on last season when the Dons had eight players in on loan.
Robson reckons there has been too much transfer window turmoil at Pittodrie in recent years.
He aims to end the cycle of squad rebuilds and only use windows to strengthen what he hopes will be an already successful squad.
On rebuilding each year, he said: “You can’t do that.
“It’s no secret how many players the club has turned over in the last couple of windows.
“We won’t be turning those numbers over.
“What we are trying to do is get a settled team, to build a team that will go for another few years.
“We only have three loans in now and the rest of our players are here permanently.
“All a good age.
“Some will have a resale value and some will be here for a right few years.”
Recruitment process and strategy
Aberdeen secured signings from across Europe and also Australia and Israel.
New Zealand international left-back James McGarry was secured on a three-year deal from Australian A-League champions Central Coast Mariners.
McGarry is currently ruled out for six to eight weeks with a hamstring injury.
Right-back Dadia arrived on a season-long loan deal from Israel’s Haopel Be’er Sheva, with the exclusive option to buy.
Israel international Dadia has yet to play competitively for the Dons first team.
On the recruitment process and strategy Robson said: “It comes in different ways.
“It can come in data, it can come through agents, it can come from players we have seen ourselves.
“There are lots of different avenues that we go down.
“It is never easy and you don’t always get the players you want.
“But every club will be the same.
“Hopefully we have recruited well.”
Losing head of recruitment during the transfer window
Aberdeen’s drive to rebuild in the summer suffered a setback when head of recruitment Darren Mowbray left the club take up the same role at Southampton on July 1.
Mowbray had been with the Dons since 2021, having previously worked at Burnley, Middlesbrough and Leeds United.
Aberdeen subsequently appointed Jordan Miles as Mowbray’s replacement.
Miles had previously been head of recruitment Analysis at English Premier League West Ham United, the 2023 Conference League champions.
Robson said: “We lost our head of recruitment half way through the window so as you can imagine it was quite challenging.
“But Steven Gunn (director of football) works so hard and it is incredible the work he does.
“Alan (Burrows, chief executive) came in and Dave (Cormack, chairman) has supported us the whole way.
“Everyone at the club are all pulling in the same direction.”
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