The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
January plans well under way
Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin has already started putting plans in place to strengthen further in the January transfer window.
Goodwin made 11 new signings this summer for more than £1.5 million.
But Goodwin refuses to stand still in his bid to bring success to the club and has already turned his attention to the winter window.
The summer window only shut two weeks ago and Aberdeen are currently third in the Premiership table.
Yet Goodwin confirmed the wheels have already been set in motion to source additions to strengthen in January.
The Reds are also preparing for players struggling to get game time potentially moving on at the turn of the year.
Aberdeen have looked at contingency plans for January should there be moves to sign any of Goodwin’s first team regulars.
The boss said: “We are already putting plans in place and looking at positions we maybe need to strengthen in January.
“There have been good conversations with Darren Mowbray, the head of recruitment, and Steven Gunn, the director of football, already.
“We are also looking at positions and players who are maybe getting frustrated with not getting played regularly and might want to move on.
“We are also having to put contingency plans in place because a number of our players will be attracting interest from other clubs.
“All these things have been spoken about and are being considered.
“We were very organised going into the summer window and we will be the same going into the January one.”
Eight of the starting XI that drew 1-1 with Ross County in the Dons’ previous match were summer signings.
Of that starting XI in Dingwall only Jonny Hayes, Vicente Besuijen and Ross McCrorie were at the club last season.
Summer signings Luis Duk Lopes came off the bench to score a sensational scissor-kick goal against County.
Some players remaining from last season are struggling to secure game time since the extensive rebuild.
United States international striker Christian Ramirez has not made the 20-strong matchday squad in the previous three games.
Ramirez, 31, has played just 18 minutes of the opening six Premiership games.
There was speculation Ramirez, contracted until summer 2023, would exit Pittodrie during the summer transfer window but that didn’t materialise.
Welsh international attacker Marley Watkins was an unused substitute at Ross County and the 31-year-old has yet to feature this season.