Aberdeen FC's transfer plan for Jimmy Thelin's first window as new boss promised 'there WILL be funds'

Jimmy Thelin has been assured funds ARE available at Aberdeen this summer as Alan Burrows detailed a key area of his Elfsborg blueprint he'd like to see emulated at Pittodrie.

The Dons secured their new permanent manager on Tuesday after a long search to replace Barry Robson. Neil Warnock arrived on an interim basis while the hunt was going on but the veteran boss left soon after with Peter Leven picking up the reigns. He will remain in the dugout until the summer when the new man will take over.

The idea of announcing him now will allow Thelin to start analysing his troops - albeit from a distance - and start to make decisions over players that he reckons will fit into the system he wants to employ at Pittodrie. Burrows says the board will take advice from the 46-year-old over areas he may well need strengthened and the CEO have vowed that the club will support their new boss in the best way they possibly can. That includes money to bring in some players after a disappointing campaign that has Aberdeen playing bottom six.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Burrows said: "I think we need to support the manager the best we possibly can. We need to assess the squad and have Jimmy assess the players versus how he wants to play and then try and give him as much help as we possibly can for the changes he wants to make.

"There are funds available to try and bring in some players in the summer to try and help Jimmy in that part and he can also go through the process of assessing what we have got here."

It was a big summer recruitment drive in the Granite City under previous boss Robson with vast numbers arriving to help with European and domestic matters after a Europa Conference League campaign. Asked how much scope Thelin will have to shape this squad this time around, Burrows added: "I think a lot of that will be down to Jimmy.

"We pay football managers to access the squad and player and weigh it up against his beliefs and philosophy. What I would say is we have four or five players out of contract but we do have a lot of players in contract.

"So a big part of Jimmy getting the job now - albeit not taking it to the summer - is to give him a little bit of time, albeit from a distance, to access some of the players and how they will fit into his tactics and shape and philosophies and allow him to make those decisions.

"My belief is his first task will not only be to access the players but get that message across to the players about how he wants to play and how he wants his teams to perform, the identify he wants to have to his team and then seeing how they react and fit into that.

"Then we will take advice from him on different areas that will need strengthened or otherwise. I think there is a core of good players here and I would be excited to see what Jimmy can do with that.

"If you look at his record at Elfsborg in terms of delivering player development and bringing players on to a different level ultimately to trade on for big money. That has been a key part of the success he's had at his previous club and we hope he can do that for Aberdeen, starting with the squad of players we have at the moment."