McInnes settled for Christie loan after outright bid failed
ABERDEEN boss Derek McInnes reluctantly committed to a season-long loan of Ryan Christie after failing to broker a permanent transfer for the Celtic midfielder.
Christie, who spent the second half of last season at Pittodrie, will rejoin the Dons in conjunction with the deal that has seen Jonny Hayes move to the Premiership champions on a three-year contract.
The terms of the temporary transfer mean Christie will not be able to play against Celtic next season, one of the factors that led McInnes to actively pursue an outright purchase of the 22-year-old.
Aberdeen could not find a way to accommodate Christie into the club’s wage structure and so settled for a loan of a player who will play a key role in filling the shoes vacated by wingers Hayes and Niall McGinn, who has also departed under freedom of contract.
Shaun Maloney remains a live transfer target and would provide quality in the final third. Out of contract at Hull City, the 34-year-old Scotland internationalist has offers to choose from this summer but has given some encouragement that he might be willing to return north of the border.
Having already landed Greg Tansey from Inverness, and rejected the advances of Sunderland to commit his own future to Aberdeen, McInnes will step up his recruitment drive when he returns from holiday this week.
He faces fresh negotiations concerning his own employment status after chairman Stewart Milne revealed that he is keen to tie down the manager to a new, improved deal.
McInnes and assistant Tony Docherty are contracted to Aberdeen until 2019 but, having seen off the Black Cats bid, Milne would like to strengthen the bond.
‘We had opened up discussions with Derek in May to renew his package,’ said Milne. ‘That ended up being shelved in the run-up to the Scottish Cup final.
‘We agreed to pick it up again when he came back from holiday. That is already underway.’
McInnes faces the more immediate task of preparing his players for a Europa League qualifier in early July.
The draw is made in Nyon tomorrow, an hour after Celtic learn their fate for the Champions League qualifiers.
The lure of Europe’s premier club competition was a prime motivator behind Hayes’ decision to sign for the Parkhead club, as was the opportunity to work again with Rodgers, who took him to Reading when he was a teenager.
‘Celtic have done well over the last few seasons and with the manager coming in last year he raised the level again,’ said Hayes. ‘It was hard last year seeing all the celebrations and all the stuff on social media — you want that for yourself and to be part of it.
‘Now it’s my chance and hopefully, going forward, I can create my own bit of history.’