Greg Tansey has been told his Aberdeen career is over.
The 29-year-old has two years remaining of the three-year deal he joined the Dons on last summer but has been informed he will not be part of manager Derek McInnes’s long-term plans at Pittodrie.
The former Caley Thistle midfielder will report for pre-season training with his team-mates but Aberdeen will listen for offers from interested clubs for the Englishman.
Ross County would like to bring Tansey back to the Highlands following his loan spell in the second half of the campaign but the midfielder’s preference is to remain in the Premiership or return to England.
Had County stayed up, an agreement was in place between the two clubs for Tansey to move permanently but their relegation meant he returned to his parent club.
Tansey’s hopes of resurrecting his career at Pittodrie appear slim, but his former Inverness and County team-mate Ross Draper insists Tansey can recover from his setback.
He said: “I think Greg will be fine. The only reason he came to us was to get games. He was unfortunate with injuries – he was ill-advised by his surgeon with his first operation, as it didn’t get his groin sorted. That set him back.
“He wasn’t fully fit and he broke down a couple of times. He got the surgery done properly with us and he was getting fitter. It’s up to him to go and kick on.
“We all know a fully-fit Greg will be a good player, it’s just getting him on the pitch now.”
Tansey, a Scottish Cup winner with Inverness in 2015, was a longtime target for the Dons before he arrived last summer. Aberdeen failed with a deadline day bid for the Caley Jags midfielder in January 2016 but secured him on a free contract a year later.
However, Tansey endured a difficult campaign with his new club.
He was dogged by a niggling groin injury and had surgery three times in six months between September and March in an attempt to regain full fitness.
His appearances for the Dons were restricted to just 14, his last for the club coming in a 3-0 loss to Rangers at Ibrox on November 29.
He joined County on loan in January but his ongoing injury problem meant he played just three times for the Staggies with his last appearance coming in a 2-0 defeat by Hamilton Accies at New Douglas Park on Saturday April 28.