Aberdeen interim manager Barry Robson has revealed he had no part in Vicente Besuijen’s loan exit.
However, Robson says he is “pleased” with how the Dons were able to strengthen – and “protect the club” going forward – in the few days between him being appointed stand-in boss and the transfer window closing last Tuesday.
The departure of Dutch winger Besuijen back to his homeland and Eredivisie side Excelsior Rotterdam in a loan-to-buy agreement was one of the headlines from Aberdeen’s deadline-day dealings.
A £500,000 signing from ADO Den Haag in January 2021 under ex-Pittodrie manager Stephen Glass, big things were expected of the 21-year-old wideman/attacking midfielder going into this season.
However, although he scored seven times and provided three assists in 25 appearances across all competitions in the first half of the campaign, Besuijen had struggled for game time in recent months under axed boss Jim Goodwin.
Robson says the deal for Besuijen to leave for Rotterdam was already made by the time Aberdeen’s board asked him to take the team following Goodwin’s sacking just three days before the window slammed shut.
Robson said: “Vinny’s deal was already in place before I took charge.
“That was already over the line.”
Colombian-born Besuijen made his Excelsior debut on Saturday, playing 45 minutes of their 0-0 Eredivisie draw with RKC Waalwijk.
🆕 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗩𝗶!@VicenteBesuijen maakte tegen RKC zijn debuut voor Excelsior Rotterdam. 𝘖𝘱 𝘯𝘢𝘢𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘳! 📈
💪⚫🔴 #samensterk #excrkc pic.twitter.com/sjYnHMYcdV
— Excelsior Rotterdam (@excelsiorrdam) February 5, 2023
On the same day, interim Aberdeen boss Robson was leading the Reds to the first win of his tenure – a 3-1 Pittodrie league victory over Motherwell.
It stopped the rot of a five-game losing streak which had seen Aberdeen exit both cup competitions, slump to seventh in the Premiership and which had cost Goodwin his position in the Dons dugout.
They remain seventh, but the victory over Well has the Dons within three points of fourth-placed Livingston in the final European spot, although the Lions have played one game fewer.
Aberdeen could go a long way to catching Livi if they can beat them when the sides meet at Pittodrie on February 25, following next weekend’s visit to Celtic Park.
The win over Motherwell has lifted the mood around the Dons, with shoots of defensive solidity after Robson and his coaching staff were able to bring in centre-backs Mattie Pollock (loan from Watford) and Angus MacDonald (short-term deal from Swindon Town) in the few days after coming in.
Robson on need to add attacker Markanday
While defensive reinforcements were clearly needed, especially after Robson sanctioned under-fire skipper Anthony Stewart’s loan exit to MK Dons on deadline day, the need to strike a right-on-the-wire loan deal for Blackburn Rovers winger Dilan Markanday was less obvious – given Besuijen was allowed to leave and Aberdeen appearing oversubscribed in the widemen department.
However, Robson is convinced Markanday, who made his debut off the bench in the controversial 3-1 Premiership loss to St Mirren last Wednesday, brings something different to the squad, adding: “He can play through the middle as well so he’s not just a wide player.
“Shayden Morris is injured for the season, so you’re a player light there as well.
“He (Morris) has been in a brace for a while, it was a real bad bit of his hamstring. He’s really struggling with it at the minute so we need to look after him. It’s going to be a long term one.”
Ensuring ‘there aren’t any new players signed on long contracts’ for next boss to deal with
Aberdeen remain in the early stages of their hunt for a new permanent manager, and are yet to zero in on targets or conduct interviews.
Robson thinks the club’s late transfer window business struck a balance between helping Aberdeen’s existing squad turn around their mid-season nosedive in form, without tying the Dons into any long-term agreements which could create a headache for their next boss.
He said: “I had to come in and make some decisions quickly. I think I made the right decisions with the knowledge I had at that time and after speaking to people at the club.
“I’m quite pleased with what happened.
“The biggest thing is that we didn’t try to recruit or do anything that was going to be longer term.
“We’ve got a great squad here as it is and so, whatever the new manager wants to do when he comes in, there aren’t any new players signed on long contracts.
“It didn’t feel the right time to do business for a long-term player. The summer is the best time to do that.
“We had to protect the club a bit as well.”
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