Aberdeen

Jack Herrall
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has told his side it is time to "leave behind" their summer of Scottish Cup celebration and focus on striving for success in the new season.

Thelin, whose team kick off their Premiership campaign at Hearts on Monday night, said: "When you are in this competitive game, you have to celebrate the victory with all your friends and the staff and the players, the supporters, and enjoy it.

"But now it's back again to another season and you have to leave it behind and focus on another season.

"It was a great summer, but now we're looking forward to a new season."

A top-six finish and Scottish Cup win would have been the choice of many Dons fans prior to the start of last season. They may even choose it again this year.

However, their league form was inconsistent to say the least.

Their well-documented downturn in form saw them take a dive in late November and suffer a dismal run of 12 games without a victory.

As a new season dawns for the Dons, will consistency be the watchword for manager Thelin?

"Of course you always want to have that but it's a thing you have to evolve and it's different parts," he said.

"One way is to be even better connected as a team of course and improving other things, how we are when we are under pressure, when sometimes it's not always the perfect game but try to stay in the game and win the games anyway.

"There's a lot of things we have gone through of course and identified we have to be better at."

We asked for your thoughts on Pape Gueye's exit and where it leaves Aberdeen's striking options.

Here is what some of you said:

Justin: If he played like he did at the start of last season and against Celtic in the Scottish Cup final, then he will definitely be missed, but he seemed inconsistent sometimes. A big lad like that must be a nightmare to play against, so we'll see who steps up.

David: No real issue with the sale of Gueye. But where are the goals coming from this season, as most of last season's have left the club! Come on, Jimmy, enough of the winger obsession, we need a proven goalscorer ASAP.

Bryan: Wish Pape all the best, but we need a more consistent striker. Kevin Nisbet had a slow start, but gradually got up to speed. I would love to see him back as he has knowledge of the Scottish game. With Topi Keskinen on the left and Nicolas Milanovic on the right, Nisbet would thrive on the service.

Adrian: Pape played a big part in the unbeaten run, but injury hampered his form. It was great to see him play his part in the final. He looked lost sometimes during games, but at least he always played for the shirt. Hopefully making way for the next Dons star.

David: Selling Gueye is great business, whatever the profit. A dynamic character, but realistically, never likely to be someone relied upon to be a regular starter. Arguably, not a player we will miss. Surely a sign that forward replacements are on the way. COYR.

Sandy: If he didn't want to play, move him on and put the money in the kitty and get Bojan Miovski back.

Kiera: I was looking forward to more dances from Pape, but unfortunately, we aren't going to see any more. Wish him the best in his future endeavours.

Aiden: I think he will be missed as he was a big character and at times a fan favourite. When he was on form at the start of the season before his injury, he was unstoppable, and I hoped he would be able to recapture that form for this season. Aberdeen need to get in another couple of strikers, or we might struggle for goals up top.

Jack Herrall
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has been speaking to the media before the Scottish Premiership opener with Hearts on Monday night.

Here are the key points from his press conference:

• Thelin enjoyed some "amazing days" in the summer celebrating the Scottish Cup win, but says now is the time to "to leave it behind and focus on another season" which the Dons feel ready for.

• On Pape Gueye's departure, the Pittodrie boss says players leaving is a "normal process of the game," but adds that the club are "always proud of our players and then we wish them luck" when they exit.

• With many Aberdeen fans keen for attacking reinforcements, the Swede says it is a tricky situation as "it is an open window and you're not alone in the market".

• On the prospect of new signings being imminent, he adds the club are "working on [deals], but I can't tell more than that right now".

• Thelin is ready for a "competitive" game with former Dons boss Derek McInnes' Hearts at Tynecastle and there are "a lot of positive things to look forward to".

• On Alfie Dorrington's return on loan from Spurs, Thelin says there was always "dialogue" and it is a "good signing" as the 20-year-old is "more ready this season to compete".

• The Swede wants the Dons to be "even better connected" throughout the side as he looks for more consistency across the season after an up-and-down campaign last time.

• With domestic and European duties to juggle this season, Thelin says the fixture schedule can't be used as an "excuse", adding "we have to prepare ourselves for this".

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Scottish Cup-winning striker Pape Habib Gueye has departed Aberdeen for a "a significant undisclosed fee" to join Turkish Super Lig side Kasimpasa.

The 25-year-old Senegalese forward, who moved to Pittodrie two years ago, scored eight goals in 36 appearances for the Dons.

Gueye's explosive start to last season - six goals in eight games - was followed by a four-month injury lay-off and he struggled to recapture that prolific form.

His last appearance for the club came as a second-half substitute against Celtic in May as Aberdeen triumphed on penalties to win the Scottish Cup for the first time in 35 years.

Dons fans, is it the right call to move Gueye on? And does his exit accelerate the need for Jimmy Thelin to sign another striker?

Tell us your thoughts

Following the release of Richard Jensen, Aberdeen are also expected to offload fellow defender Slobodan Rubezic. (Press & Journal), external

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Defender Richard Jensen has left Aberdeen just under two years after his arrival at Pittodrie.

The 29-year-old joined the Dons in August 2023 and went on to make 41 appearances for the club.

Jensen spent last season on loan with Danish Superlige side Vejle Boldklub.

"We thank Richard for his contributions during his time at Aberdeen," boss Jimmy Thelin told club media, external.

"He has been a model professional and a valuable member of the squad however, at this stage in his career Richard wants regular game time and unfortunately, we cannot promise him that at this moment.

"We wish him every success in his next chapter."

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Winger Cammy Wilson has left Aberdeen to join English Championship side Derby County.

Wilson, 18, played for the Under-18s for two seasons and spent the second half of last term on loan with Highland League club Keith.

"Cammy is a committed and talented young player and we understand his desire to have a pathway to first-team football and the security of a long-term contract, something which we weren't able to promise him at this stage," Dons director of football Steven Gunn said.

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• The side playing at home has lost none of the past 23 Scottish Premiership matches between Hearts and Aberdeen (W17 D6) since the Dons' 2-1 win at Tynecastle in May 2017.

• This will be the third time in the 21st century that Hearts and Aberdeen have met on matchday one of a league season, after 2003-04 (Hearts won 2-0) and 2019-20 (Aberdeen won 3-2).

• Hearts have won the opening game in three of their four Scottish Premiership seasons since they were promoted in 2021 (D1), although their last opening-day defeat was to Aberdeen in 2019-20 (3-2).

• Aberdeen have only lost on the opening day in two of their past 10 league campaigns (W5 D3), defeats to Rangers in 2020-21 (1-0) and Celtic in 2022-23 (2-0).

• This will be Derek McInnes' first league game in charge of Hearts, making them the fourth club he has managed in the Scottish top fight (also St Johnstone, Aberdeen, Kilmarnock). He will be only the second manager to take charge of four separate clubs in Scotland's top tier in the 21st century, after John Hughes (Falkirk, Hibernian, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Ross County).

Aberdeen have agreed a deal in excess of £850,000 to sell Pape Gueye to Kasimpasa and the 25-year-old striker has now been given permission to open talks with the Turkish Super Lig club and to travel for a medical. (Daily Record), external

Kasimpasa's opening bid for Pape Gueye fell short of Aberdeen's valuation of the striker, but negotiations continue, with the Dons looking for a profit on the £500,000 they paid Kortrijk for the 25-year-old two years ago and the Turkish Super Lig club ready to pay up to £864,000. (Sky Sports), external

Aberdeen have tabled a fresh proposal for 21-year-old forward Marko Lazetic after AC Milan rejected their initial offer as the Serie A club look to recoup much of the £3m they paid Red Star in 2022. (Daily Record), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

It seems like no time since Aberdeen city centre was a sea of red and white as the hordes came out to celebrate the Dons' famous Scottish Cup victory. It was a special weekend for the supporters and the city.

More than three decades of impatiently waiting for the old trophy to return to the Pittodrie boardroom was, as the club say, worth the wait.

That success will rightly be woven through the campaign that is about to begin, but it is back to business for Jimmy Thelin and his players as they look for a major improvement on their 2025 league form which had them rooted to the foot of the calendar year table following the conclusion of 2024-25.

A year ago, Thelin led Aberdeen on a stunning run as they made it all the way through to the November international break undefeated, keeping pace with Celtic at the top along the way.

What followed was equally staggering but for all the wrong reasons as they won just five more league games before ultimately dropping to fifth on the final day.

That was quickly forgotten a week later as Thelin's men produced silverware which is, after all, the be all and end all for any football club.

But the league is the 'bread and butter' as they say and Thelin knows the second half of 2024-25 was not acceptable as he shapes a squad that can deal with the European prize they snatched from under Hibernian's nose that afternoon at Hampden Park along with their domestic form. It suffered badly two seasons ago with Barry Robson ultimately paying the price.

The return of Alfie Dorrington on loan from Spurs could be a masterstroke while the arrivals of Nicolas Milanovic and Adil Aouchiche have the potential to excite the fans. And will Australia international Kusini Yengi be the answer up front as he follows in the footsteps of Bojan Miovski and Kevin Nisbet?

On paper, the signing of 19-year-old Icelander Kjartan Kjartansson looks to be one for the future, but it would be no surprise to see him involved heavily given he has already got over 60 first-team matches under his belt in his homeland. It has shades of Lewis Ferguson who immediately made an impression upon arriving at Pittodrie back in 2018.

The SPFL have handed the Dons about as tough a start as they could have with a visit to Hearts first up - they haven't won at Tynecastle since 2017 - before champions Celtic come to Pittodrie with revenge on their minds after Thelin's men destroyed their treble bid in May.

It is likely there will be one or two more arrivals before the end of the transfer window with others leaving. Vicente Besuijen has already departed for a third loan spell, this time to HJK in Finland, with the likes of Richard Jensen, Slobodan Rubezic and Peter Ambrose also on decent contracts but on the periphery these days.

Thelin and Dave Cormack's well documented three-year-plan is about to enter season two and if it ends with silverware again, nobody in the Granite City will be complaining.

Turkish Super Lig club Kasimpasa have made an official offer to Pape Habib Gueye and have made progress in the transfer of the 25-year-old forward from Aberdeen. (Resat Can Ozbdak on X), external

Aberdeen striker Pape Habib Gueye will travel to Istanbul to complete his switch to Kasimpasa on Wednesday after an agreement was reached for his transfer, according to Turkish outlet YS TV. (Press & Journal), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Glen Schreuder
Fan writer

Where will you finish in the league and why?

I don't foresee such a Dandy start as last season. A tricky opening game at Tynecastle followed by the champions at Pittodrie gives us an opportunity to put down a marker or find ourselves behind the mark.

European group-stage football, in whatever competition, will bring excitement but challenges domestically. I still think we will have enough about us for a top-four finish.

Who is the best signing or has he not signed yet and who should it be?

Our best signing could prove to be the one we know the least about. Kjartan Kjartansson has impressed in cameo appearances in pre-season. I still have Nicolas Milanovic as the signing who has potential to excite us the most, alongside Adil Aouchiche.

What do you want from your manager this season?

I want him to be braver when it comes to changing his gameplan. There was a lot of criticism last season that Jimmy Thelin didn't have a 'Plan B'. We have enough defenders to play a back five or back three, and I think this will be one we see changed on European and domestic occasions.

Who will be the breakout star in your squad?

I have already mentioned Kjartansson, but if afforded more consistent game-time this season, then indications from pre-season suggest it could be Fletcher Boyd. After breaking on to the scene he didn't feature much last term, so I'll put him down to break out and really make his mark.

What is your one major concern?

Up front. Yes, Thelin teams tend not to rely on an out-and-out striker for goals. But fitness concerns around Kusini Yengi and Ester Sokler alongside the still relatively untried Peter Ambrose leave me worried we could lack goals if our wingers don't create/score.

Glen Schreuder can be found at Red Tinted Glasses, external

Aberdeen have revived their interest in AC Milan forward Marko Lazetic, 21. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external

Defender Mats Knoester, 26, is confident Aberdeen can end their eight-year wait for a win at Tynecastle when they visit Hearts in their opening Scottish Premiership fixture on 4 August. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

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Aberdeen face an away trip to Greenock Morton in the second round of the League Cup.

Championship side Morton finished as one of the best runners-up in Group G.

Ties are due to be played on the weekend of 16th/17th August.

Ipswich Town are "the level we are aiming to", said Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin following the Dons' 3-1 home friendly defeat by the English Championship side. (Record), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

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Aberdeen completed their pre-season fixtures with a 3-1 defeat by Ipswich Town at Pittodrie.

Scotland striker George Hirst played a key role as the Tractor Boys went into half-time two goals in front.

He combined with Sammie Szmodics to set up Jaden Philogene for the opener, before tapping in for a goal of his own after Szmodics' shot was saved by Dimitar Mitov.

Philogene got his second just before the hour mark to make it 3-0, before Aberdeen's Peter Ambrose tapped in a late consolation moments after being brought on as a substitute.

Jimmy Thelin's side start their league campaign away to Hearts on Monday, 4 August.

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Jimmy Thelin believes HJK Helsinki will provide "the perfect platform" for Vicente Besuijen to "flourish" after the Aberdeen winger joined the Finnish side on a six-month loan.

Besuijen, 24, has made 57 appearances for the Dons since joining in January 2022, scoring 11 goals, but missed the second half of last season with a knee injury.

Manager Thelin says the former Netherlands youth international has "worked hard in pre-season and has a clear desire to play regularly, but Aberdeen haven't been able to promise him that".

Besuijen enjoyed a loan spell at Excelsior Rotterdam in the first half of 2023 before a temporary move to Eerste Divisie side FC Emmen in January 2024.

Thelin believes HJK - who Aberdeen bought Topi Keskinen from - is "the right opportunity" for the winger.

"This move should provide Vicente the game time he needs in a competitive league with a team who have European football to look forward to and we hope it is the perfect platform for him to flourish," added Thelin.

Aberdeen winger Vicente Besuijen is in talks with Finnish club HJK Helsinki and a deal could be finalised with the 24-year-old in the coming days, according to reports in Finland. (Press & Journal), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Andrew Southwick
BBC Sport Scotland

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Alfie Dorrington's return is "a big boost" for Aberdeen, says fellow defender Nicky Devlin.

The Tottenham centre-half has returned to Pittodrie for the 2025-26 campaign following a successful loan spell last term, which culminated in a historic Scottish Cup triumph.

"It's good to see him back again," Devlin told Aberdeen's club media.

"I thought he was brilliant last season for us, especially for someone coming into his first real exposure to first-team football. And he'll be a big boost for us.

"There are a few people who have left, big characters who have left the dressing room this year.

"He's good on and off the park, he's a big character, he gets on well with everyone. And he brings a lot of quality to the team, which we'll need throughout the season."

Jimmy Thelin's men continued their pre-season preparations with a friendly defeat to English Premier League side Fulham on Saturday.

New signing Kusini Yengi gave Aberdeen the lead, but they fell to a 4-1 defeat against the London club, who finished 11th England's top tier last season.

"It was difficult, everyone knows they're a top side," said Devlin, who replaced Graeme Shinnie at left-back at half time.

"They give a lot of the top teams in England problems as well. There were good parts of it - first half and second half - but obviously lots of stuff we need to work on going into the start of our season."

On playing in an unfamiliar left-back position, Devlin continued: "On paper it's the same position, it's just a different side.

"I think the manager knows I'm happy to play wherever. If he thinks it's the best for the team, then he knows I'll play anywhere for him."