The January transfer window has not reached the midway point yet but it is clear the 2025 transfer activity is going to be the most significant for Aberdeen in recent memory.
Alexander Jensen will become signing number three of a busy window for the Dons – four if you include Ante Palaversa putting pen to paper on a two-year deal to stay at Pittodrie until 2027.
For a club which has historically operated in the deadline day loan market at this time of year in recent campaigns the flurry of transfer activity says a lot about the intent at the club.
Firstly, the Dons have 100% faith in manager Jimmy Thelin despite the wretched run of results.
All the talk of a three-year project is not lip service to buy time, it’s a commitment from the club to support their man and try to build something at the club.
Given the three managers prior to Thelin have lasted roughly a year each, a patient, brick by brick approach to turning the club’s fortunes around is to be admired.
Aberdeen are also putting their money where their mouth is too with the outlay set to pass the seven-figure mark this month with Jensen’s arrival from Swedish club Brommapojkarna.
Defence has been the priority
Secondly, the club is addressing what has become a glaring problem during the poor run – the defence.
Even during the 31-point return from the opening 11 league matches clean sheets were few and far between for the Dons.
With the goals not flowing as they once did, the pressure has told on the backline, leading to the Dons slipping from second in the table to fourth.
Securing a return to Europe is the top priority at Aberdeen and despite their recent woes Aberdeen remain in a strong position.
That’s why they are pushing ahead with bolstering the ranks for the second half of the season.
Central defender Kristers Tobers is already in the door after the club shelled out £600,000 for the Latvia captain from Swiss side Grasshoppers.
We will soon be adding £545,000 to the running tally with the substantial sum being the initial fee the Dons will pay Brommapojkarna for utility player Jensen.
It is unlikely Aberdeen’s defensive reinforcements will end there as Thelin was already in the market for central defenders before confirmation came that Gavin Molloy will be out until May with a shoulder injury.
Dons boss also in the market for more goals
Thelin has also been hard at work strengthening his attacking options too with the loan signing of winger Jeppe Okkels from Preston North End.
The Dons have an agreement to make the deal permanent should Okkels, who played for Thelin at Elfbsorg for three years, do well at Pittodrie.
The return of Pape Habib Gueye will help bolster the forward line further but with Ester Sokler out for the next two months and loan signing Kevin Nisbet proving inconsistent so far, the search for a permanent successor for Bojan Miovski continues.
Rounding off a busy week of activity at Pittodrie is the contract extension for Palaversa.
The cultured Croatian midfielder is still working his way back to full fitness after a difficult couple of years, but he has shown enough to suggest he is going to be a major part of Thelin’s team moving forward.
In short, changes are afoot, and it seems certain more are coming ahead in the three weeks remaining.
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