Defender offered new deal at Dons

Three-year deal on offer for defender

By Andrew Moir

Published:

NEW DEAL: Aberdeen defender Andrew Considine.

FURTHER TALKS: Alan Maybury.

ABERDEEN have offered young defender Andrew Considine a new contract.

The Dons ace, 21, is in the final year of his current deal but has earned the chance to extend his Pittodrie stay.

Club supremo Willie Miller is hopeful the Scotland under-21 cap will put pen to paper on a fresh agreement with the club.

“Andrew has done well in recent seasons and we’re hopeful he’ll accept our offer of a new contract,” said Miller.

Chris Maguire has also been offered new terms and Miller will hold talks with the pair when they return for pre-season training next Monday.

The duo are understood to have both been offered terms to keep them at the club until 2011.

Miller added: “Both Andrew and Chris are in the final year of their contracts and I would like to think both will stay and continue to make progress with us.

“We’ll talk to them both next week and hope to be in a position to make a positive announcement.”

Considine suffered an indifferent campaign last term and could be forced to battle it out with Dutch defender Tim Bakens for a place in Jimmy Calderwood’s team.

The 25-year-old has claimed Calderwood has spoken to him about the possibility of moving to the Dons.

Bakens is available for free after turning down a new deal at RKC Waalwijk.

He said: “Jimmy Calderwood called me to ask if I would be interested in a move to Aberdeen.

“I said I would and he told me he would call me back in a couple of days but I have not heard anything.”

Bakens has been offered a deal at FC Volendam and also has the chance to go on trial in Belgium.

Calderwood is chasing a new central defender, a striker and a wide midfielder.

He could yet be forced to land a right back as Alan Maybury is still stalling on an offer from the Dons.

The Republic of Ireland cap impressed at Pittodrie last term and Calderwood wants to tie him to a new long-term deal.

Maybury is expected to hold further talks with the Dons boss next Monday.

Meanwhile, the Dons have again been linked with moves for Dundee United’s Mark Kerr and Alan Gow, of Rangers.

Kerr will part company with the Tannadice club at the end of the month and is wanted south of the border.

Gow turned down a move to Burnley as part of the Kyle Lafferty deal.

Calderwood is a known admirer of both players but there is not expected to be any transfer activity until the Dons boss returns from holiday.