Aberdeen

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Aberdeen youth academy graduates Alfie Bavidge and Alfie Stewart have signed new deals with the north east club.

Striker Bavidge joined the club at eight years old and made his competitive debut back in 2023. He's since made five first team appearances for the Pittodrie club.

"I feel really good about the new deal," Bavidge told club media.

"At one stage, I wasn't sure what the future would hold, but after speaking with the manager at the end of last season, everything became much clearer.

"He gave me a lot of belief and confidence. The dream has always been to be an Aberdeen player, and I have been given another opportunity to prove myself."

Stewart, 19, is yet to make his senior debut for the Dons and spent last season on loan at Inverness alongside Bavidge. Stewart made 48 appearances and scored eight goals as the club secured promotion to the Championship.

"It has taken a little while for everything to get done, but once I heard the news, I was absolutely buzzing," Stewart said.

"When the season finished at Inverness, we came back and played in a bounce game. The manager called me into his office and said he would like me to stay. He said he liked how I play and what he had seen from me at Inverness. He wanted to keep me here and that was great to hear.

"I have been an Aberdeen fan my whole life. When you come into the professional setup, the aim is always to push on and make it into the first team. That is something I am now ready to challenge for."

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Aberdeen forward Marko Lazetic, 22, is attracting interest from clubs in Sweden and Switzerland. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external

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Midfielder Connor Ronan "can't wait to get started" after joining Aberdeen on a two-year contract with the option of a further year.

The 28-year-old previously played under Dons boss Stephen Robinson at St Mirren and was most recently with Colorado Rapids.

He also has experience in England, Slovakia and Switzerland, with a total of 275 senior appearances and 15 goals so far.

Robinson told the Aberdeen website: "He's a creative player who will bring valuable experience to our midfield. He has a strong work ethic, can score goals and has clearly matured during his time in MLS.

"Just as importantly, he has the character and professionalism that we want within the squad."

And Ronan added: "I'm delighted to have everything finalised and can't wait to get started.

"From the first conversations I had with the manager, it was clear what the club is trying to build and where I fit into those plans.

"I've also worked with Stephen before and I know exactly what he'll expect from me. That was a really important factor.

"I want to be part of helping the club compete at the top end of the table, return to Europe and challenge for trophies."

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Forward Toyosi Olusanya is "buzzing to be back" at Aberdeen after agreeing a two-year deal at Pittodrie.

The former St Mirren attacker, 28, had a loan spell at the Dons from Houston Dynamo last season and leaves the Major League Soccer outfit at the end of his contract. Englishman Olusanya scored twice in 18 Aberdeen appearances between January and May.

He played for eight different clubs in his homeland before joining St Mirren in 2022, during current Dons boss Stephen Robinson's spell in charge of the Buddies. He was loaned to Arbroath in 2023 and joined Houston in 2025. Dynamo loaned Olusanya to Doncaster Rovers before his first spell at Aberdeen.

"Toyosi made a really positive impact during his time with us last season and we're delighted to bring him back to the club," Robinson told the Aberdeen website.

"He gives us something different in the final third. His pace, power and energy make him a difficult opponent for defenders, while his work ethic and attitude are exactly what we want within the group. We believe there is much more to come from him."

And Olusanya said: "I am buzzing to be back. From the moment I arrived in January, I felt welcomed by everyone at the club.

"Coming in during the middle of a season isn't always easy. I was still working my way back to full fitness and adapting to a new environment, but I felt I improved as the weeks went on and now I have the opportunity to start again with a full pre-season behind me.

"I know the manager well and I know exactly what he expects from me."

Toyosi Olusanya has agreed a two-year contract with Aberdeen after Houston Dynamo decided against triggering a 12-month extension for the 28-year-old striker following his loan spell at Pittodrie. (Press & Journal), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Connor Ronan will sign a two-year contract with Aberdeen, with an option of a further 12 months, after the 28-year-old midfielder's exit from Colorado Rapids. (Daily Record), external

Aberdeen are considering signing Dave Richards after the 32-year-old goalkeeper turned down a new contract with Dundee United. (Daily Record), external

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Goalkeeper Per Kristian Bratveit has left Aberdeen just six months into an 18-month contract.

The 30-year-old Norwegian joined in January after his contract ran out with Stromsgodset in his homeland but made just six appearances for the Scottish Premiership club.

Bratveit had arrived as back-up to number one Dimitar Mitov after Nick Suman picked up a serious ankle injury in training.

He becomes the ninth player to exit Pittodrie in Stephen Robinson's first transfer window as manager.

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Aberdeen will take on Dutch Eredivisie side Twente in a pre-season friendly on Saturday 4, July.

The match at Sportcomplex GFC in Goor, Overijssel will kick off at 13:00 BST.

Stephen Robinson's side will spend a week in the Netherlands as part of their 2026-27 preparations.

Prior to the match with Twente, the Dons meet Scottish League 1 Cove Rangers, managed by former Aberdeen player Paul Hartley. That game at Balmoral will take place on Saturday, 27 June at 14:00.

There will also be closed-door games in and around the meetings with Cove and Twente.

"Pre-season is a crucial time for us to build both physically and tactically and it will be important as we integrate new faces into the squad," Robinson told Aberdeen's website.

"The opportunity to take the team away to work together intensively and face strong opponents like FC Twente is extremely valuable for the group.

"It will be a good test and alongside a comprehensive schedule of pre-season matches, will act as an important step in our preparations for the season ahead."

Improving Aberdeen's away form is a priority for manager Stephen Robinson. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external

Friday's Scottish gossip

Aberdeen have lined up a deal for Toyosi Olusanya but are waiting to discover if Houston Dynamo will trigger the option to extend the striker's deal by another year. (Aberdeen Live)

Blau-Weiss Linz's sporting director Christoph Schosswender says his club spent the entire season trying to convince new Aberdeen midfielder Alexander Briedl to sign a new contract. (Press & Journal)

Read the rest of Thursday's gossip.

Former Aberdeen attacker Niall McGinn believes Stephen Robinson can make the Pittodrie club a force in the Scottish Premiership again with the right financial backing. (Record), external

And defender Tom McIntyre, 27, backs Aberdeen to have an improved campaign next term after spending a short spell at Pittodrie in season 2025-26. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external

Tuesday's Scottish gossip

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Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson believes new signing Dan Happe will bring leadership and aerial dominance to the Dons' defence.

The 27-year-old centre-back has signed a two-year deal at Pittodrie - with the option for a third - and will join Aberdeen when his contract at Leyton Orient expires later this summer.

Happe has spent his entire senior career with Orient, making over 250 appearances and earning promotion twice.

"Dan is a leader who given his stature is clearly dominant in the air, something which we have missed," Robinson said.

"Given his experience we think he can have an immediate impact while also contributing to our longer-term vision for the club. He's exactly the right type of character and brings the attributes we're looking for."

Happe says he turned down multiple clubs in England to move to Aberdeen.

"Having spent my entire career at one club it was a big decision to move on, but I just felt it was the right time to try something new, and this was an opportunity I could not turn down," he said.

"After speaking to the manager, he was so positive and enthusiastic about the club and what he wants to achieve here. He was very persuasive. I had other options, interest from teams in England, but after the call with him I was in now doubt this was the move for me.

"I know last season was not what anyone at Aberdeen would have wanted, it was disappointing, but I am confident better times lie ahead with the squad the manager is building. I want to help the team get back into Europe and help the team win trophies."

Aberdeen's large turnover of players will end after the current summer transfer window, says manager Stephen Robinson. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external

Friday's Scottish gossip

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Stewart Milne was a "great servant" to Aberdeen and deserves praise for providing the backing to keep the club clear of financial problems, says former chief executive Keith Wyness.

Aberdeen businessman Milne, who spent more than two decades as chairman from 1998, is leaving the Dons board after 32 years.

Aberdeen won just three trophies - the Scottish Cup and two League Cups - during Milne's time at the club.

Wyness, who was chief executive for four years until 2004, told BBC Scotland: "He certainly put his money where his mouth was and he was very hard working, always had the best interest of the club at heart.

"He may not have had the success he obviously desired but it wasn't through want of trying and he deserves plaudits for his long stint at the top when many others didn't want to take up that hotseat.

"There were periods when if it hadn't been for Stewart securing debt or putting up assets then the club would have had real financial problems.

"He was able to ride through the waves and without his backing the club would have had some much rockier times. But he was always there, always willing to help and trying to find the right solution to find the way forward.

"He liked to be behind the scenes, he worked very well with the other club chairmen and within the SFA and the SPL.

"Stewart played a role when the 10 clubs resigned from the SPL, he backed me on that and we were never shied away from a fight.

"Stewart was always ready to try and do the right thing and back it up with real action. It's very rare in football and the fans have got to respect that and there's a lot of stories that will come out over time from behind the scenes that will prove that Stewart was a great servant to the club.

"He deserves to be remembered as somebody who kept the club really still pushing to try its best."

Aberdeen expect to complete to signing of Colorado Rapids midfielder Connor Ronan when the transfer window opens (Press & Journal)., external

Read Wednesday's gossip in full.

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Mark McGhee has revealed he was so blown away by Sir Alex Ferguson's "bonkers" ambitions for Aberdeen he had no hesitation in joining the Dons.

Former striker McGhee switched from Newcastle in 1979 and had a memorable five-year spell at Pittodrie, winning the European Cup Winners' Cup and Uefa Super Cup as well as two league titles and three Scottish Cups.

The 69-year-old told the BBC's Sacked in the Morning podcast about the conversation he had with boss Ferguson that convinced him to make the move to the north east.

"The thing that attracted me to speaking to Aberdeen was I knew when Alex Ferguson was at St Mirren he'd tried to sign me from Morton," McGhee said.

"So the fact he was coming back in for me again gave me a bit of confidence.

"I met him in a hotel and he explained to me a lot of things about my own career, my own play, but he also told me he wanted to win a European trophy within five years.

"Aberdeen, at that point, hadn't won the league in 25 years, they hadn't won the cup in 12, you've got to win one of them before you qualify for Europe.

"I should have been thinking this guy is bonkers. But the way he presented it and the argument he put, and what he could do to help me, by the time I had finished speaking to him I was totally convinced I should join."

Odense are considering a move for Aberdeen winger Topi Keskinen and had the 23-year-old watched in Finland's friendly against Germany on Sunday. (Daily Record), external

Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson has confirmed 19-year-old midfielder Kjartan Mar Kjartansson could be sent out on loan in the upcoming season. (Press & Journal), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Aberdeen are closing in on a summer transfer window deal to sign 28-year-old former St Mirren midfielder Connor Ronan, whose contract with Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids runs out at the end of the calendar year. (Press & Journal), external

Western Sydney Wanderers are keen on re-signing out-of-favour Nicolas Milanovic from Aberdeen, to whom they sold the 24-year-old winger for £400,000 last summer. (Daily Record), external

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Aberdeen are keen on Colorado Rapids midfielder Connor Ronan, the 28-year-old who worked under manager Stephen Robinson when on loan at St Mirren in season 2021-22. (Daily Record - subscription required), external

Aberdeen, Celtic and Rangers are interested in 24-year-old Gyori ETO midfielder Milan Vitalis, who has six caps for Hungary. (GOAL - in Hungarian), external

Aberdeen fans, we asked for your views after the club began their summer recruitment with the triple signing of Lewis Mayo, Brad Lyons and Alexander Breidl.

Here are some of your comments:

Mark: The signings are sensible and exactly what the club needs. Lyons and Mayo have very good experience of the league and having that at the core of the squad is vital. I don't know of Breidl, but he again sounds like someone who has experience at a good level, so look forward to seeing what he will bring. Pleased the club have got players through the door already.

Scott: It's a strong looking trio of signings. We need to get a lot of the deadwood moved on as well though. It's certainly a strong first day of signings though, so here's to more of a similar and better quality coming in.

Mark L: Happy with that, we needed some proper boys who know Scottish football, the Austrian boy looks a find too but after last season I'm not getting my hopes up just yet.

Donald: Hard to be enthused by this trio. The Kilmarnock couple are solid enough, but don't know a thing about the Austrian guy. Without a doubt he'll be technically strong, but will he be creative in a fast, physical league? Will he have goals in him too? We've been seriously let down in the past couple of seasons by lacklustre continental signings, hopefully Stephen Robinson, et al, have unearthed a gem.

L Hunter: Completely and utterly underwhelming signings. Robinson will make us a mid-table team, he simply isn't good enough. The club is in decline, say goodbye to Europe and cup runs for the next few years.

Neil: Excellent start to the summer transfer business. Two known quantities who I think inspire confidence from the outset. All three being free transfers also feels like good news after a lot of speculative spending last summer.

Former England forward Gabriel Agbonlahor says Aberdeen tried to sign him after he left Aston Villa in 2018, but the distance to the Granite City made him choose to hang up his boots at the age of 32 instead. (Press & Journal), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.