Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has refused to rule out bringing Gary Mackay-Steven back to Pittodrie.
The Thurso-born winger is set to become a free agent next month after MLS club New York City opted against taking up an option to extend the 30-year-old’s deal.
Mackay-Steven scored 16 goals in 72 appearances after moving to Pittodrie from Celtic in 2017.
It is understood the Dons have already spoken to the twice-capped Scotland international about a possible return.
Dons manager Derek McInnes said: “For us, anything we can or can’t do will be dependent on us maybe being able to move one or two players on.
“We’ve got one or two positions prioritised and players within that. But I think we would always be open to bringing good players to the club.
“Gary’s exactly that. We didn’t want to lose Gary in the first place. His numbers were good with us. There are other positions that we maybe need to try and focus on more to be honest.”
The Dons face Motherwell in their first trip to Fir Park since March when their scheduled meeting with the Steelmen was postponed on the morning of the day Scottish football went into shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic.
McInnes remains hopeful that the 2020-21 season will be completed, despite rising coronavirus cases across the country.
He said: “A lot has changed since then.
“That day we could see how the situation was escalating across the country.
“We were just praying that game could be played though we knew it was touch and go.
“As much as we wanted to play it did feel right that it didn’t go ahead due to the seriousness of the situation. Looking back it was the obvious decision.
“At that stage we never knew what we were dealing with and we never thought for a minute the season wouldn’t get going again.
“A lot has happened but we need to move on as that season is done with now.
“We are in a privileged position to play football at the moment and we need to make the most of it.”
He added: “If we take ourselves back to the summer, and how disappointed we were that we were being denied football. We were getting the chance to work properly denied. If we take ourselves back to then, we would have cut our right hand off just to be where we are now and playing football and playing week in, week out.
“I’m not going to complain about how many fixtures we have on the road, or the congestion, because I’d much rather deal with those issues than the issues we had. I think clubs have done a brilliant job.
“It’s only now with the new strain and the new situation that you fear we’re maybe going to go into lockdown beyond the three weeks. Hopefully we can continue to sail through it and just keep continuing to do what we’re doing.”
The Dons, meanwhile, have been boosted by the news that the hamstring injury suffered by Tommie Hoban against Kilmarnock on Sunday does not appear to be as bad as first feared.
McInnes said: “This game might come a little bit too soon for him but, hopefully he should be ok for Boxing Day.”