DONS BACK IN FOR MALONEY

ABERDEEN boss Derek McInnes is to resume his pursuit of Scotland hero Shaun Maloney — backed by the biggest transfer budget of his time at Pittodrie. And the Dons expect their manager knocking back Sunderland to yield an even bigger financial dividend for the football department, as season-ticket sales rocket in the wake of his shock decision. With Aberdeen supremo Stewart Milne now targeting a European run on the back of McInnes’ decision to stay, it emerged that the personal relationship between chairman and manager had been a key factor in one of the most sought-after head coaches in the country rejecting Sunderland’s advances. But McInnes was also given assurances about resources available to him at a club in their best financial shape for decades — providing a stark contrast with the uncertainty surrounding the Black Cats.

Sportsmail understands that the transfer work already started before the Sunderland approach is now firmly back on track, with Maloney — out of contract but with offers to remain down south — top of the list. Scotland and Norwich striker Stevie Naismith

also remains in the thoughts of the Dons boss, who yesterday landed Ryan Christie on a season-long loan as part of the £1.3million deal taking Jonny Hayes to Celtic. With Hayes joining fellow regulars Niall McGinn, Ash Taylor, Ryan Jack and Peter Pawlett in leaving Pittodrie this summer, McInnes is pursuing at least six major targets before the first team returns to pre-season training a week on Monday. Milne hailed his gaffer’s decision to knock back a major English club as a boost for the entire game north of the border, declaring: ‘I think it’s a very positive thing, not just for Aberdeen. ‘I think it’s a fantastic thing for us — but I think it sends out a very positive message to the rest of Scottish football. ‘Having guys like Brendan Rodgers and Derek in Scottish football is a massive thing. ‘If we can, along with Celtic and Rangers, start making some inroads back into Europe again then I think we’re starting to rebuild the profile of Scottish football. ‘It would have been a massive blow for the club (if McInnes had left). ‘It’s not just what he’s done on the park over the last four years, he’s helped us rebuild the whole operation around the football side. ‘He’s brought a great deal, in almost every aspect of the club, over the last four years that we’ve been able to lift the whole atmosphere throughout the club. ‘Derek has played a big part in that.’ Despite Milne claiming that he always thought the Dons had a ‘50-50 chance’ of retaining McInnes, even when he’d been freed to talk to suitors willing to stump up £1million for the manager and assistant Tony Docherty, there was widespread surprise at Pittodrie when the decision was announced on Thursday. The chairman added: ‘He’s become very attached to the club, he loves being here, he appreciates the support he gets from the fans. ‘I think we’ve established a very good working relationship over the years and he knew if he was moving away from Aberdeen he was giving up a lot. Sunderland last night admitted that uncertainty over the ownership of a club with massive debts had hampered their attempts to land McInnes, releasing a statement that said: ‘With this backdrop, we have been unable to give the assurances any potential candidate would need regarding the plans a new owner could have for the manager’s position.’