Trimming bloated Dons squad a difficult task

Aberdeen went with a bloated squad last season, labouring to a hugely disappointing ninth-place Premiership finish. The summer task at Pittodrie is two-fold - recruit better players and offload a number of those who have struggled to make an impact. Head coach Stephen Robinson is well down the road with the first of those objectives. He has really started to put his own stamp on the squad, with Moroccan striker Ayoub Mouloua this week becoming his eighth close-season addition. However, moving on those players who are surplus to requirements is proving much tougher. With the new arrivals, the Dons squad is now at bursting point, but trimming it is easier is than done, particularly when you are seeking buyers for under-contract fringe players. Robinson has described sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel's job as the hardest at the club in trying to meet that objective. There is a long list of players who may benefit from a move away - the likes of Kusini Yengi, Nicolas Milanovic, Ante Palaversa and Peter Ambrose to name just a few. Some of those seem closer to the exit than others. While a lot of the focus will rightly be on new signings, who - and how many - players the Dons manage to ship out will be just as important.