Bakens’ fear over Pittodrie switch
Pittodrie silence deafening for Bakens
EXCLUSIVE
Published:
DUTCH defender Tim Bakens today admitted he fears his move to Aberdeen could be dead.
25-year-old RKC Waalwijk centre-back Bakens confirmed talks have broken down with the Dons.
Bakens, who is being tracked by Dutch and Belgian sides, has not heard from Dons boss Jimmy Calderwood for more than two weeks.
Bakens said: “It looks like any move to Aberdeen could be off because if a club does not contact you it is time to move on.
“I last spoke with Jimmy Calderwood two-and-a-half weeks ago.
“He said he was keen on signing a defender, although there could be others he’s interested in.
“He said he would get back to me in a couple of days to let me know what the situation was.
“I have not heard back from Aberdeen, so there is absolutely no way of moving things forward.
“You have to believe that a club wants to sign you, so unfortunately that could be it for me as far as moving to Aberdeen is concerned.”
Bakens is available on a free transfer after rejecting an offer to re-sign at RKC Waalwijk, who missed out on promotion in the end of season play-offs.
The former De Graafschap stopper has also turned down an offer from top-flight Dutch outfit FC Volendam.
And with the Dons stalling, a host of continental clubs are lining up to secure his signature.
He added: “The situation with Aberdeen is disappointing, but that can happen.
“It’s just the nature of the profession that I have chosen.
“A few clubs in Holland and a Belgian side have shown an interest in me.
“But at the moment nothing has been decided, so I’m not sure of my future plans.”
Towering in at 6ft 4in, Calderwood had likened Bakens to Hibs captain Rob Jones.
But Calderwood would rather land a left-sided central defender to partner Zander Diamond, and Bakens is naturally right footed, which appears to be the reason why the deal is set to fall through.
However, Bakens insists he has the stature to thrive in the Scottish game.
“It would have been good to play in Scotland, because it is a good league and it would have been a fresh challenge,” he said.
“People have said I would do well in Scotland because of my size and I would like to that would have been the case.”
Calderwood returns from holiday for the first day of pre-season training on Monday.
And Bakens would still be willing to re-open talks, if Calderwood contacts him.
“If Aberdeen were to contact me within the next few days I would speak to them, but it’s not looking likely.”
Readers' Comments
What are the chances of us unearthing players in the Dutch second division of the stature of Snelders and Hilhaus, not much, give up looking for bargains and lets aim higher, spend a bit, and go for known players, give us all a bit of hope!!
Robbie Ross
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