Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack insists no stone must be left unturned as the Dons regroup for what he believes will be the most competitive Premiership campaign in recent memory.
The Dons last week announced a restructuring at the club with Steven Gunn taking on the role of director of football at Pittodrie.
His first task is to appoint a new head of recruitment following the departure of Russ Richardson from the role and Cormack believes the new appointment will be vital.
He said: “We have a clear strategy and everybody has bought into it. We need to find someone there who will embrace the technology and leave no stone unturned across the globe for talent we would bring in to complement our youth academy, as well as seasoned professionals we think can do a job for us as well.
“It’s predominantly Scotland and England we’ve looked at before, but the world is a big place.
🆕 | Vacancy | Head of Recruitment.
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) May 25, 2021
“This season is over, we’ve learned a lot of lessons. There’s a reset and we’re certainly up for it. I hope the fans are as well.
“Having a clear strategy and being the best we can be is what we are focused on. Next year will be the most competitive league in some time. A few years ago there was no Rangers, Hearts and Hibs. They are all there now.
“We as a club will be very competitive wage-wise. What we’re trying to do is take our significant wage bill and use it as best as we can. We’ve got an opportunity for a reset.”
Make-up of the squad will be crucial
The Dons chairman knows an important summer in terms of recruitment lies ahead for manager Stephen Glass and his assistants Allan Russell and Scott Brown.
Former Celtic captain Brown will split his coaching role with playing responsibilities, while Motherwell skipper Declan Gallagher will also join after the European Championship.
Cormack knows the make-up of the squad will be crucial.
He said: “Since the transition to Stephen took place, Stephen and Allan have been really focused. They’ve only been here four weeks and it has been a baptism of fire. The good thing is they have had time to look at the players who were here and make decisions about next year.
“We’ll have a strong budget. It’s up to the manager how he wants to spend the wage bill we’ve got.
“We’re excited for this next period, but let’s not forget we’ve got the Celtic captain and Motherwell captain coming in, two leaders.”
He added “We want to get the right balance in the squad, so we can’t hire 25 first-team starters. We have to invest in the right players for the right positions.
“It’s no surprise that we were challenged in the last third of the field for most of the season and that is the area Steven, Stephen and Allan will be focused on, but it is important we take the time to get the right people.
“We’ve announced that Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has signed and Stephen and the guys see him as being one of a number of attacking options. My appeal, which is tough, is to ask the fans to be patient and trust us.”