Goodwin hopes rush of players will be last

Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin insists this summer is a one-off and there will be no more transfer window rebuilds.

The Dons have splashed almost £1 million on transfers this summer to bank-roll Goodwin’s extensive overhaul.

Six players have been signed and Goodwin confirmed up to another four could be added.

Fourteen players have exited Pittodrie since Goodwin took over the reins in February – and more could yet leave.

Goodwin is in the middle of reconstructing a squad that crashed to 10th in the Premiership last season.

It was the club’s lowest finish since 2004.

The Dons boss hopes this summer will be the last where such dramatic surgery is required and that there will be no more major overhauls on his watch.

He reckons this rebuild, though, will have Dons’ supporters “optimistic and excited” about the upcoming season.

Goodwin said: “I hope it is a one-off. It had to be done. We have identified a number of other targets.

“Discussions are ongoing with Steven Gunn (director of football) and the chairman (Dave Cormack) with those players and their representatives.

“I’m hoping to get three or four in. And I would expect maybe one or two to go the other way.

“I think the supporters are now starting to see what we are trying to do, which is the most important thing.

“They obviously had an extremely disappointing season last season. But I think they can look at the quality and age limit of players we are bringing in.

“And they can be optimistic and excited for what’s to come.”

Aberdeen paid fees to Hungarian club MTK Budapest for striker Bojan Miovski (£535,000) and midfielder Ylber Ramadani (£100,000).

They also signed rightback Jayden Richardson (£300,000) from Premier League new boys Nottingham Forest.

Arriving on free transfers following the conclusion of their contracts were defender Anthony Stewart (Wycombe Wanderers) and keeper Kelle Roos (Derby County).

Defender Liam Scales was secured on a seasonlong loan from Premiership champions Celtic.

Goodwin said: “I think we have done really well up to now.

“When you look at what our competitors have done we are ahead of most and on a par with a couple of teams at the top in terms of who has been busiest.

“It is not about rushing them through. I could have signed 100 players by now but we have set our sights on certain individuals.

“The players we have signed, the majority of them have been attached to other clubs.

“Those transfer negotiations can take a lot more time than would normally happen with a free agent.”

Goodwin is confident he will have built a strong, competitive squad by the start of the campaign.

He knows he will need to because the Dons boss expects “big competition” in the Premiership.

Goodwin said: “We have big competition in the league this year.

“Hearts will obviously be looking to do what they did last year.

“Hibs have strengthened and improved and have a good manager in Lee Johnson, who I know well.

“Dundee United are up there and Graham Alexander is doing well at Motherwell.

“It is going to be a hell of competitive league.

“However, I believe that the decisions we have made in terms of the staff behind the scenes and also the players are the right ones.

“And we just need to quickly integrate them and make them all gel.

“Hopefully that will bring us the success that we all want on the park.”