Maloney and Dons reach deal

ABERDEEN boss Derek McInnes has continued his summer rebuilding process after winning the race to sign Shaun Maloney. The 34-year-old Scotland international had been offered a new contract to stay at Hull City. But Sportsmail understands the Dons will today pip them to land the former Celtic and Wigan forward on a 12-month contract, subject to a medical. Maloney is a key part of

the rebuilding process at Aberdeen after the Pittodrie club lost wide attacker Jonny Hayes to Celtic in a £1.3million move and skipper Ryan Jack to Rangers, while winger Niall McGinn also departed on freedom of contract. The Dons have already signed Greg Tansey from Inverness, and secured the loan captures of Greg Stewart from Birmingham and Ryan Christie from Celtic. McInnes remains in the hunt to sign former St Johnstone striker Stevie May from Preston in a £300,000 deal. Speaking before the Maloney deal was concluded, McInnes admitted his challenge is to build the strongest Dons squad since he took over in 2013. But he stressed that while his budget has increased, he is not being afforded limitless funds by Dons multi-millionaire shareholder Dave Cormack. McInnes said: ‘There is a slight increase in the budget. We have to try to utilise the money from Jonny Hayes as best we can. We have already started to do that. ‘Last season’s squad was the best one yet of my time here and the challenge is to try to better that. ‘We have done a lot of work to bring good players in. ‘I am confident we can continue to punch above our weight and to give ourselves the opportunity to be successful.’ Meanwhile, Dons legend Neale Cooper was last night recovering from a heart attack. The 53-year-old former Aston Villa and Rangers player posted a picture of himself on social media from his hospital bed. In a public post on his Facebook account, Cooper, who helped the Dons win the 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup, wrote: ‘After a wonderful day with my children yesterday in Inverness, I returned to Aberdeen only to suffer a heart attack in the early hours of this morning. ‘Thank you for the rapid response by the ambulance crew from Foresterhill and the surgeons, who fitted a stent into my blocked artery in my heart. ‘Feeling good today but resting in the hospital with its wonderful staff supporting me.’