Any clubs looking to raid Aberdeen during the winter transfer window will be well warned there will be no January sales at Pittodrie.
Chairman Dave Cormack was spot on when he said the days of bagging Dons players for minimal fees or nothing are now long gone.
Aberdeen’s insistence on playing hardball in transfer negotiations in recent years is paying off.
The Dons have stuck by their guns to get what the club views players are worth.
By doing that not only have the Reds received high transfer fees they have also sent a strong message to other clubs.
That message is Pittodrie is not the place to land bargain signings on the cheap.
Clubs, regardless of size or stature, know they have to pay the right price for an Aberdeen player or there will be no deal.
That was shown when the Reds stuck to their guns to get the right price for Calvin Ramsay from English giants Liverpool.
Aberdeen sold teenage defender Ramsay in a deal that could be worth up to £8 million, receiving £4.5m up front with the rest in potential add-ons.
The Reds also secured a £3m fee for Scotland international Lewis Ferguson from Italian Serie A side Bologna.
Aberdeen have also shown they are willing to hold onto a player for another transfer window until they get the right price.
The Dons are building a squad to deliver success to the fans and the city – but the bottom line is they are a selling club.
More than £10 million brought in from young talent
They have a blueprint of developing exciting young talent, getting value from them in the first team and then selling them for a fee.
Aberdeen have brought in more than £10 million in the last two years thanks to the sales of Ramsay, Ferguson, Scott McKenna and Sam Cosgrove.
And the Dons will have to stand firm again during the January transfer window.
French top flight club Stade de Reims are reportedly considering launching a £4m bid for Bojan Miovski in the January transfer window.
That would constitute a huge return on a player the Dons paid £535,00 to sign from MTK Budapest in the summer.
However a number of other clubs in Britain and Europe are also reportedly tracking the in-form Aberdeen striker.
Miovski is hot property having netted 12 goals already this season.
Goalscoring form like that comes at a premium and for me, £4m is not enough. I am sure Aberdeen agree and will hold out to get more for the striker.
If Miovski continues to score a big team will inevitably come in with a bid for what the Dons believe he is worth.
A figure that would balance out the loss to the team of their leading goalscorer.
Reality of football – every player has a price
That is the reality of football – every player has a price.
Hopefully that price is not met in January because Miovski has been pivotal to the Dons’ rise to third in the Premiership table.
I am sure there will also be interest in Luis ‘Duk’ Lopes who has also been in great form.
Duk is a proven scorer as well and can also pitch in with superb goals.
Like Miovski, former Benfica striker Duk has been a successful signing.
I am sure Aberdeen have contingency plans for any eventuality in the January window – including Miovski leaving.
You need to have all bases covered and potential signing targets identified… just in case.
No-fear attitude against the Old Firm
Aberdeen must show no fear in the Pittodrie double header against Celtic and Rangers.
They will be tough games but with home advantage the Reds are more than capable of beating the Glasgow two.
Aberdeen have been red hot at Pittodrie and they must use that home form as fuel when facing Celtic and Rangers.
They will also be driven by a large home support desperate for positive results.
Aberdeen have won five successive games at home so go into this double header on a high.
Ideally they will go on the front-foot against Premiership leaders Celtic on Saturday.
Aberdeen must have a real go and close down the defending champions from the offset.
Let them know they are in a game and go on the attack.
There is no point becoming tied up in a defensive game and trying to hold back because Celtic will just hit on the break.
The Hoops have the ability to punish teams that sit back.
Which is why Aberdeen must take the game to them at Pittodrie.
Likewise against Rangers on Tuesday night who will only be playing their second game under new manager Michael Beale.
Coming out of that double header with four points would be a great return.
If the Reds can win both games it would be a fantastic start to the second half of the campaign and could really ignite the bid for success.
Aberdeen also play Rangers in the League Cup semi-final at Hampden on Sunday, January 15.
If the Dons beat Rangers on league action on Tuesday it could give them a real edge going into the cup showdown.
Messi showing his class at World Cup
I’m tipping Argentina to lift the World Cup by beating defending champions France in the final on Sunday.
Lionel Messi has been superb during the tournament and I feel he will be the difference.
Lifting the World Cup would further cement Messi’s footballing legacy.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has done everything in the game – bar win the World Cup.
I think he will lead Argentina to the trophy on Sunday.
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