Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin insists the club’s global search for signings will not be at the expense of sourcing Scottish talent.
The Dons have agreed a deal to sign Australian winger Nicolas Milanovic from A-League club Western Sydney Wanderers.
A fee of around £400,000 will be paid for the 23-year-old who will move to Pittodrie on a long-term contract.
Thelin has made nine permanent signings in the two transfer windows since taking over the Aberdeen managerial role last summer.
All of the permanent signings have been overseas players.
Thelin has also secured four loan signings this season, with Millwall striker Kevin Nisbet the only Scot.
Scottish market part of Thelin’s recruitment strategy
Scotland international Nisbet has scored 13 goals this season but will return to the English Championship club in the summer
Thelin insists attracting top Scottish talent and giving them a platform to shine is part of his recruitment philosophy.
On the Scottish transfer market, Thelin said: “It is a market we try to be better at.
“We have some ideas on how we can have the right balance for the squad for the longer term.
”And how we can be a really good squad for talent in Scotland to be in and improve.
“It is one part of our strategy, but we need to do everything step-by-step.
“We are not going to get too stuck in certain areas but it (Scotland) is part of the strategy.”
In Thelin’s debut season at Pittodrie the Dons are battling to secure European qualification.
Aberdeen are level on points with third-placed Hibs, who hold a superior goal difference.
UEFA’s ‘homegrown’ player rule
Under UEFA rules a club competing in European football must register a squad of no more than 25 players on List A.
Of the 25 players clubs must have a minimum eight players that were trained by clubs from the same national league.
And four of those must be from the club’s own youth system.
The rule caps a maximum of 17 foreign trained players for any club competing in UEFA competitions.
UEFA defines ‘homegrown’ players as those who, regardless of their nationality, have been trained by their club or by another club in the same national association.
That training period must be for at least three years between the ages of 15 and 21.
Thelin said: “We are going to bring in the right players and balance the squad from there.”
Aberdeen boosted their European qualification bid with a 1-0 win against rivals Hibs at Pittodrie at the weekend.
Defensive reinforcements paying off
On-loan striker Nisbet netted the decisive winner with a sensational volleyed goal late in the second half.
Thelin was also delighted a defence rebuilt during the January transfer window delivered a clean sheet.
Aberdeen’s board sanctioned a January transfer window spending spree in excess of £1million to strengthen the defence.
Centre-back Kristers Tobers, currently out with a hamstring injury, was secured in a £600,000 deal from Swiss club Grasshoppers.
Full-back Alexander Jensen arrived from Swedish Allsvenskan club Brommapojkarna for a fee of £545,000.
Centre-back Alfie Dorrington was secured on loan until the end of the season from English Premier League Tottenham Hotspur.
Also arriving in the winter window was centre-back Mats Knoester who signed a permanent deal following his exit from Hungarian club Ferencvaros.
Thelin praised Knoester for an impressive shift in the win against Hibs.
He said: “There were some very strong moments in the way we defended against Hibs.
“There was a stability and patience shown.
“Also a real cooperation among the players who controlled the situation.
“Mats is a strong player who is very smart in his duels.
“Against Hibs they all covered and helped one another with the second balls and running.
“I’m so proud of how they were when Hibs had strong moments as that gave us the chance to win.”
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