The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Dons free to splash Rooney cash in replacement quest
Pittodrie: Club to reinvest £375,000 transfer fee as striker moves to Salford
The funds from Adam Rooney’s sale to Salford City will be reinvested in the Aberdeen squad.
Rooney, the club’s top scorer in three of the last four seasons, joined the National League side for a reported £375,000 fee yesterday and manager Derek McInnes is keen to find a replacement as soon as possible.
The Dons’ Europa League tie with Burnley is six days away and McInnes has only Stevie May and Sam Cosgrove as senior strikers, with the latter yet to score for the club and May netting just once since Christmas.
McInnes said no encouragement was given to Salford over the deal for Rooney but it became clear over the last week the Ammies, backed by several of Manchester United’s Class of 92 and businessman Peter Lim, wanted to get the deal done.
McInnes said: “We’ll use the money from the Salford deal to put towards trying to add to the squad, another striker hopefully.
“We move on and wish Adam well. I’ve no doubts he will be a success.
“We gave Adam every opportunity to stay and fightforhisplace.
“We didn’t want to give him up easily because he has been a brilliant signing for me – a free transfer four years ago. He has scored important goals but not only that, he has been a part of the culture in the dressing room and showed how to be a professional footballer. It’s important to fill your dressing room with good people like that. “After a conversation with Adam, it was clear he was keen on the move. We have made it happen for him. The timing was agreed over the last few weeks and it had to suit us a bit better to try to bring a striker in. But unfortunately in the last few days he might have missed out on the Salford deal so we’ve allowed this to happen. There was an urgency from Salford to get this done.”
McInnes is likely to be without seven first-team players heading into tonight’s friendly against West Bromwich Albion.
Mikey Devlin, Greg Tansey, Frank Ross (all groin), Niall McGinn (thigh), Andrew Considine (concussion), Mark Reynolds and Stephen Gleeson (both knee) are all out, with Reynolds being sent for a scan and likely to miss a considerable period of time.
It means the Dons had just two fit defenders – Shay Logan and Scott McKenna – in training this week.
McInnes added: “We’d like to have had more addition in. The injuries have put more focus on the squad.
“The fact the Burnley game is coming around quickly and the level of the opponent has fastforwarded the spotlight on the recruitment. Taking all that into consideration, I’d like to have a bigger squad to choose from, certainly for the game tonight.
“We’ve had seven or eight injuries this week.”
The Dons manager said there had been no enquiries for McKenna. istrative error on the club’s part at the end of the January transfer window, Andrew Irving entered the field of play in the 65th minute as an unregistered player.
Andrew was given an extension contract in January and his extension paperwork was all properly completed and in order.
“However, it was not loaded onto the online SFA registration system at the time. His official registration, therefore, ran out on June 9.
While stringent processes are already in place to try to prevent something of this nature occurring, clearly mistakes can happen.
“An additional step in our internal procedures will be implemented immediately to try to ensure this cannot happen again.”