January 2025 Transfer Window

[DantheDon]

36 minutes ago, BigAl said:

Latvian skipper IS a  Don

£700k

Work permit awaited 

Welcome to AFC Kristers Tobers 

 

Were you seeing that Al?

[OrlandoDon]

23 minutes ago, DantheDon said:

Were you seeing that Al?

Given the time maybe he’s dreaming and sleep posting?

Edited January 7 by OrlandoDon

[Reekie_Red]

7 hours ago, tlg1903 said:

Could be wrong but my feeling is we want both 

The defence is absolutely bereft of all confidence at the moment, and this is creeping in further up the field. I believe the only way to fix it is to being in quality in defence ... we ain't gonna fix the defence  buying cheap. 

Okkers is in, Tobers almost in. I think we still need to keep the pressure on trying to get Jensen in too. Then when the time comes, get rid of MacDonald as he simply cannot play in  JTs system 

Molloy is one for the future. If the new guys prove to be comfortable and competent, maybe pop Molloy or Rubi next to them against lower quality opposition so that they can continue their education 

[Reekie_Red]

42 minutes ago, DantheDon said:

Were you seeing that Al?

Confirmed on Sky Sports transfer centre:

Aberdeen agree defender deal

Latest from Sky Sports News' Anthony Joseph:

Aberdeen have agreed a deal worth around £800,000 for Grasshoppers centre-back Kristers Tobers.

The Latvia captain has also agreed personal terms with the Dons.

He is due to arrive in Scotland tomorrow to undergo a medical and finalise the move.

[OrlandoDon]

Looks like we aren’t fucking around and clearly addressing needs. Obviously these guys look good on paper but they aren’t lower league English players, Anthony Stewart types. Decent reputation, a player jimmy knows, plus an international captain. Would be good to get Jensen who appears able to play right and left back.

certainly keen to sign a new 9.

[manc_don]

1 hour ago, BigAl said:

Latvian skipper IS a  Don

£700k

Work permit awaited 

Welcome to AFC Kristers Tobers 

 

Was gonna say i've seen $800k posted online, but regardless, no fucking about and happy with that. Please don't be pish  Will he be eligible for the game at the weekend?

[OrlandoDon]

3 minutes ago, manc_don said:

Was gonna say i've seen $800k posted online, but regardless, no fucking about and happy with that. Please don't be pish  Will he be eligible for the game at the weekend?

Work permit needed I believe, no clue how long that takes these days.

[Reekie_Red]

44 minutes ago, OrlandoDon said:

certainly keen to sign a new 9.

Particularly with Sokler out for a while and the others being pish. 

[BigAl]

8 hours ago, DantheDon said:

Were you seeing that Al?

 

7 hours ago, OrlandoDon said:

Given the time maybe he’s dreaming and sleep posting?

 

7 hours ago, Reekie_Red said:

Confirmed on Sky Sports transfer centre:

Aberdeen agree defender deal

Latest from Sky Sports News' Anthony Joseph:

Aberdeen have agreed a deal worth around £800,000 for Grasshoppers centre-back Kristers Tobers.

The Latvia captain has also agreed personal terms with the Dons.

He is due to arrive in Scotland tomorrow to undergo a medical and finalise the move.

Never reveal your source lads but pleased to see you caught up.

Medical and announcement later today 

[Jute]

7 hours ago, OrlandoDon said:

Work permit needed I believe, no clue how long that takes these days.

Striker Hearts signed seem to take 3 working days to get his and he is not a full international so should hopefully get Tobers through in a similar timescale. 

[wokinginashearerwonderland]

Really hope the club start to target some Scottish players.  Looks like we are likely to lose Jack McKenzie which would only leave Shinnie and Devlin as the only Scottish first team regulars.  Massively important issue for me this.  Not sure about the rest of you guys but for me, it's just not the same without a core of Scottish blood both in the squad and management team.  A bit the same as when we had a national team filled with people with dodgy passports.  I said previously (and was shot down by someone for it) that foreign players rarely work out for us/stick around for long and that has been proved so far in the main, aside from Miovski.  

[OrlandoDon]

9 minutes ago, wokinginashearerwonderland said:

Really hope the club start to target some Scottish players.  Looks like we are likely to lose Jack McKenzie which would only leave Shinnie and Devlin as the only Scottish first team regulars.  Massively important issue for me this.  Not sure about the rest of you guys but for me, it's just not the same without a core of Scottish blood both in the squad and management team.  A bit the same as when we had a national team filled with people with dodgy passports.  I said previously (and was shot down by someone for it) that foreign players rarely work out for us/stick around for long and that has been proved so far in the main, aside from Miovski.  

100% - ideally 3-4 starters minimum are Scottish, we are a Scottish team. Feel this way about all teams, need to have a home core. (Downfall of man utd if you ask me fwiw). But it’s incredibly hard  to get value for money with Scottish players.

Edited January 8 by OrlandoDon

[RicoS321]

1 hour ago, wokinginashearerwonderland said:

Really hope the club start to target some Scottish players.  Looks like we are likely to lose Jack McKenzie which would only leave Shinnie and Devlin as the only Scottish first team regulars.  Massively important issue for me this.  Not sure about the rest of you guys but for me, it's just not the same without a core of Scottish blood both in the squad and management team.  A bit the same as when we had a national team filled with people with dodgy passports. 

Our signings are now predominantly data led, with a focus on value for money, supplemented by 2-3 that the manager has seen that he believes will fit our system. As we have a foreign manager, that supplement will be foreign rather than Scottish (Devlin, Shinnie etc) for the next window or two. That should revert to Scotland again as Thelin becomes more intimate with the players here, and his knowledge of home becomes less up to date. The exception was Nisbet, but that was clearly pragmatism based on Miovski leaving and the realisation that Ambrose wasn't actually a professional footballer at all. I agree, I would like to see more Scots.

1 hour ago, wokinginashearerwonderland said:

I said previously (and was shot down by someone for it) that foreign players rarely work out for us/stick around for long and that has been proved so far in the main, aside from Miovski

I don't think that's necessarily the case at all. I would say that the majority of the signings we make of any nationality rarely stick around. Obviously we can really only take this century as relevant, because of changes in transfers that probably didn't properly unfold completely until the late nineties. Of the Scottish players (Several, Nicholson) we've signed, there are just as many that play 100+ games as there are foreigners such as Logan, McGinn and Hayes*. Guys like Kenny MacLean had no more affinity with Aberdeen than Arnason for example. The main criteria for a player staying any length of time at AFC is if they fit in at our level, rather than nationality. MacLean was our level when he joined, but moved beyond that eventually and so joined Norwich. Miovski stayed another year just like Ferguson. I can't think of a single player who has joined us and stayed beyond the point they were deemed too good. If a player finds his level here then we'll likely immediately want him replaced with someone better as we're fickle that way! Devlin last season regularly identified as a weak link, Shinnie too, after a handful of poor performances. 

In terms of Scottish players in the squad, the most disappointing area is youth players coming through. Ramsay and Barron probably don't help the numbers, but I'd have hoped we'd be targeting one to two players per season making the squad and get regular minutes before the age of 21 (a bit arbitrary, I know). Milne squeezes in (defenders take longer!), and Duncan should be aiming for next season or moving on. I think youth products are really the only ones that are likely to develop significant affinity and loyalty, and the most likely to see a good number of appearances. Mainly because they might have family in and from the city, and may even raise family here. Again, though, that's only if they find their level here. 

 

*I've assumed you class Brits and Irish as foreigners (I do) based on your comments about the national side.

Edited January 8 by RicoS321

[Jute]

If we make Europe we will need to have more Scottish born/developed players to meet UEFA squad requirements so would expect to see more come in this summer. Also as Rico says once Thelin gets a better understanding of game here he will start to look at players in this country.

[wokinginashearerwonderland]

1 hour ago, RicoS321 said:

That should revert to Scotland again as Thelin becomes more intimate with the players here, and his knowledge of home becomes less up to date.

 

33 minutes ago, Jute said:

once Thelin gets a better understanding of game here he will start to look at players in this country.

Not sure where you guys are getting that from to be honest.  If you look at our signings over the last three years when we had Glass, Goodwin, Robson etc in charge, the only regulars we signed who are Scottish players were Shinnie and Devlin.  I don't see why that is likely to change now we have a manager from outwith but time will tell.

1 hour ago, RicoS321 said:

*I've assumed you class Brits and Irish as foreigners (I do) based on your comments about the national side.

I agree with that general sentiment Rico but even just UK and Irish players in my view tend to fit in better in this country.  We've had a few Irish players in particular of late who have done well.  I think players from over here whether they are Scottish, English, Irish, have the same kind of mentality, sense of humour, christ even the same language helps forge a better team spirit.  It's got to be hard for someone like Duk, Gueye or Ambrose to get the crack in the dressing room much more so than it was for Joe Lewis, Jonny Hayes or Molloy.  

[RicoS321]

22 minutes ago, wokinginashearerwonderland said:

 

Not sure where you guys are getting that from to be honest.  If you look at our signings over the last three years when we had Glass, Goodwin, Robson etc in charge, the only regulars we signed who are Scottish players were Shinnie and Devlin.  I don't see why that is likely to change now we have a manager from outwith but time will tell.

I agree with that general sentiment Rico but even just UK and Irish players in my view tend to fit in better in this country.  We've had a few Irish players in particular of late who have done well.  I think players from over here whether they are Scottish, English, Irish, have the same kind of mentality, sense of humour, christ even the same language helps forge a better team spirit.  It's got to be hard for someone like Duk, Gueye or Ambrose to get the crack in the dressing room much more so than it was for Joe Lewis, Jonny Hayes or Molloy.  

Gallagher and Bates, and thon other lad, Brown or something? If we're expanding to British, then McGrath, Stewart, Jet, Gurr and many others. 

I don't think there's any evidence of not coping with humour because of nationality in football or any other line of work. Most players we've signed, probably in our history, have had a good grasp of English. Apart from Johnny Hayes, who still requires an interpreter after over a decade in this country. Guys like Ramadani, Miovski, Sokler, Rubi all appear to enjoy playing here too. To be honest though, your initial suggestion was that you wanted to see more Scottish players playing, which I'd agree with because I think Scottish teams should provide a route to the national side, and if international football is to have any meaning, it should retain and promote that Scottish football connection. I also think that signing players like Hayes and McGrath is beneficial because they have proven SPFL record, but that would also be applicable if we signed a foreign player from another club. Mitov for example. Beyond that, I don't think there's any evidence from our signings that foreign players stay less time than British players or can integrate more successfully. Proportionally, we've signed as many dogshite players from down south as we gave foreigners from foreign land I expect. 

[manc_don]

Would appear Tobers is on his way, posted a goodbye message to his current clubs' fans on Instagram.

[manc_don]

And confirmed!

https://www.afc.co.uk/2025/01/08/latvia-captain-makes-move-to-the-dons/

[BigAl]

Been here since yesterday apparently 

Any way, welcome to The Dons lad.

[Reekie_Red]

As JT says, he seems to be the consummate professional. His arrival spiel at Aberdeen comes off the back of a classy farewell to the GCZ fans and club:

"Dear GCZ fans, I want to thank all of you for your support, energy, passion, and love you have shown me throughout this one and a half year! You made every game unforgettable! Though I’m moving on to a new chapter with a different team, I will be forever grateful!

"Dear GCZ staff, big thanks to each and every one of you for your hard work and support, I truly appreciate everything you’ve done!

"Finally, It’s been an pleasure to play alongside with such talented and dedicated teammates! Thank you for making my time here so special!

"I wish you all the best for the season ahead and beyond! Hopp GC!"

Welcome, lad. Now for one more CB and a #9

[RicoS321]

2 hours ago, Reekie_Red said:

Finally, It’s been an pleasure to play alongside with such talented and dedicated teammates!

Welcome Kristers. This is Peter, he's our best available striker. 

[Elgindon]

18 hours ago, OrlandoDon said:

100% - ideally 3-4 starters minimum are Scottish, we are a Scottish team. Feel this way about all teams, need to have a home core. (Downfall of man utd if you ask me fwiw). But it’s incredibly hard  to get value for money with Scottish players.

Also agree. Nicky Devlin was viewed as an underwhelming signing ,....probably one of our best recent ones. You'd think there'd be a few more young equivelants flying under the radar...

[wokinginashearerwonderland]

16 hours ago, RicoS321 said:

Gallagher and Bates, and thon other lad, Brown or something? If we're expanding to British, then McGrath, Stewart, Jet, Gurr and many others. 

Most of these boys were signed over 3 years ago.  There has been a real move to foreign signings since then.

If you look at the true "foreign" players we have brought in over the last 3 years, I would argue the only one who has truly made the team better and become properly settled and stayed for a decent spell, is Miovski.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BigAl]

One worth having a look at is Keelan Adams of Falkirk

Twenty three year old, right footed defender.

[Donald-Stalk]

1 hour ago, wokinginashearerwonderland said:

Most of these boys were signed over 3 years ago.  There has been a real move to foreign signings since then.

If you look at the true "foreign" players we have brought in over the last 3 years, I would argue the only one who has truly made the team better and become properly settled and stayed for a decent spell, is Miovski.  

Ramadani is a quality player, we got a season from him and then sold him presumably at a profit (can't find the actual fees involved). That's a successful signing - it made the team better, made the finances better, brought up standards, etc. It doesn't seem relevant to me how settled he was.

It's also not really about the total number of players in any case. Getting substantial fees from Miovski and Ramadani will easily outweigh the negative impact of several mediocre signings.

Also, you have to ask if another strategy is ever going to have us winning titles. We're at a financial disadvantage to Celtic/Rangers so our only option is to be smarter than they are. It seems pretty implausible that we're going to consistently identify Scottish players those two have overlooked and outperform them on that basis. It's at least theoretically possible you could do it with foreign players if you have better information.

Edited January 9 by Donald-Stalk