The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Greg Tansey could be McGinn replacement
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Aberdeen have tied up the summer signing of Inverness midfielder Greg Tansey, but manager Derek McInnes is resigned to losing Niall McGinn.
Tansey has signed a pre-contract with the Dons but Northern Ireland international McGinn is likely to be on his way to English football with Bolton and Sheffield United linked with a move.
The 29-year-old, who recently won his 50th cap for his country, is in his fifth season at Pittodrie and looks likely to leave at the end of his deal.
“It looks like it, unfortunately,” McInnes said. “His agent has indicated that there may be Championship interest in Niall, which I am not too surprised about.
“And it’s difficult for us to compete with Championship clubs.
“Niall has been very respectful, he accepts that our offer was very good, and he has thought long and hard about it.
“But we pushed for an answer and unfortunately there may well be Championship interest and it looks like that may well be his destination.
“He has still got plenty to offer and I don’t want to talk in the past sense at the minute. We look forward to the remainder of the season but he has been a real key player for us over the years and he remains to be that.”
McInnes is still waiting to see if defender Ash Taylor and captain Ryan Jack will extend their contracts.
“Both Ash and Ryan have asked for a wee bit more time to talk that through,” he said. “Hopeful on both but no more than that at the minute.”
The Dons thought they had signed Tansey late in the 2016 winter transfer window when their offer met a release clause in the player’s contract, but Inverness did not agree to the deal and later claimed Tansey had decided to stay.
Now Aberdeen will get the 28-year-old for free on a three-year deal when his Inverness contract expires in the summer.
“He’s a player I have long admired,” McInnes said. “We tried to get him, as you know, previously.
“He is a very accomplished footballer. He is a good age, he brings that level of experience. I think there is still more to come from Greg and hopefully he can do that in an Aberdeen shirt.
“Whenever we have lined up against him and whenever I have watched Inverness, I always think he is a key player for them.”
Aberdeen face Dundee at Dens Park tonight in a match which could decide the title. Celtic will be crowned Ladbrokes Premiership champions for a sixth consecutive season if Aberdeen lose.
But McInnes said: “It won’t get mentioned. It’s not something I even thought about to be honest. We all agree Celtic are going to win the league, it’s just a matter of when.
“We just want to make sure we continue to try and chalk up points and win games for our own benefit.”
The 29-yearold, who recently won his 50th cap for his country, is in his fifth season at Pittodrie and looks settoleave attheend of his deal