Aberdeen are closing in on a deal to sign Serbian centre-back Slobodan Rubezic – fighting off competition from clubs across Europe to land the 6ft 4in defender.
The Dons look set to win the race to land the right-footed stopper from Serbian SuperLiga side FK Novi Pazar.
Although the Reds are still pushing to get the deal for the emerging 23-year-old over the line, Aberdeen’s willingness to pay a significant six-figure fee upfront to take Rubezic to the Granite City this summer appears to have swung the signing battle in their favour, despite a chase involving other big Continental clubs.
It is understood Aberdeen have been keeping tabs on Rubezic for several months, with extensive negotiations between the Dons and Novi Pazar to get to this point.
Pittodrie chiefs are confident – after positive conversations – he will be an Aberdeen player for the new season.
Defender Rubezic’s break-out 2022/23 season for Novi Pazar
Rubezic played for two other Serbian SuperLiga clubs, FK Vojvodina and FK Cukaricki, at youth level, before being loaned to then-second-tier Novi Pazar for the 2019/20 campaign – going on to make 27 league starts.
In July 2021, a year after going back to his parent club Cukaricki, and having struggled to make an impact on his return due to injury, he left for Bulgarian top-flight side Arda Kardzhali.
However, six months later, in January 2022, Rubezic moved back to Serbia and joined Novi Pazar on a permanent deal.
In Rubezic’s first six months, Novi Pazar narrowly avoided relegation from the Serbian top-flight via the end-of-season play-offs – although the big defender only made eight starts for the club in the second half of the campaign.
Last term was then a break-out season for Rubezic.
At times wearing the captain’s armband, he started all-but-two of Novi Pazar’s league games across the regular league and then championship round fixtures in a much-improved showing from the team.
Novi Pazar finished sixth in the SuperLiga, despite the club changing manager five times between June 2022 and June 2023.
Barry Robson’s Balkan Dons, as hopes of Teklic deal remain
Rubezic is set to become the fourth Balkan import at Aberdeen in recent times, following the arrival of Albanian midfielder Ylber Ramadani and North Macedonian striker Bojan Miovski a year ago, and then Slovenian forward Ester Sokler earlier this summer.
The Dons are also still hopeful of getting what has been a complicated pursuit of Croatian midfielder Tonio Teklic, 24, over the line – despite some suggestions their loan bid for Crystal Palace playmaker Killian Phillips represented an end to their part in the chase for the NK Varazdin man.
It is understood Aberdeen are intent on landing two more attacking midfielders in the summer window, meaning they want both players and will move on to another target if their attempts to sign Teklic or the 21-year-old Phillips fall through.
In terms of other defensive reinforcements at Pittodrie this summer, in addition to incoming centre-back Rubezic, it is understood Aberdeen are also hopeful of pushing through a season-long loan for Hapoel Be’er Sheeva right-back Or Dadia, 26.
The Israeli top-flight club’s preference would be a season-long loan with the option to buy.
As far as potential Pittodrie outgoings are concerned, although he played in Saturday’s pre-season friendly victory against Fraserburgh – and amid inaccurate social media rumours linking him to a reunion with ex-Dons boss Jim Goodwin at Championship Dundee United – centre-half and former captain Anthony Stewart is still expected to depart from Pittodrie ahead of the new season, if he can find a new club.