Mcinnes extends Lewis contract and moves to clinch loan deal for Stewart

Aberdeen have agreed a loan deal for out-of-favour Birmingham City striker Greg Stewart and handed a two-year contract extension to goalkeeper Joe Lewis.

The highly-rated Lewis was entering the final year of his current deal but is now tied to the club until at least the summer of 2020.

Stewart, meanwhile, joins Greg Tansey and Celtic’s on-loan midfielder Ryan Christie as new additions following the recent departures of Niall Mcginn, Ash Taylor, Jonny Hayes and Ryan Jack.

Manager Derek Mcinnes has seen off competition from fellow Scottish Premiership clubshearts,hibsanddundee for a player the latter sold to Birmingham City for £500,000 just last summer.

Stewart, pictured, scored an impressive 32 goals in two seasons at Dens Park, but failed to get a single one after starting just six games for the English Championship side.

That’ was hardly surprising given the turmoil at St Andrews as Gary Rowett signed the versatile forward but was replaced as manager by Gianfranco Zola last December. The Italian, in turn, was sacked in April as Harry Rednapp took over in time to save them from relegation, but Mcinnes will give the player ample opportunity to get his career back on track.

That approach certainly worked for Lewis. His career was going nowhere at Cardiff City, but he has been a standout since moving to Pittodrie last summer.

He was an ever-present in the Aberdeen side that finished runners-up to Celtic in all three major domestic competitions last season.

In fact, his form was so impressive that he was named in both the SPFL Team of the Year and the PFA Team of the Year. Now the aim is to contin-