Jimmy Thelin to Aberdeen FC is ON as start date revealed for top manager target

Aberdeen have won the fight to make Jimmy Thelin their next manager.

The Swede will make the switch to Pittodrie at the start of June. Talks are now at an advanced stage and a deal with Elfsborg and personal terms with Thelin are close to being signed off. He will move to Aberdeen with his two assistants Emir Bajrami and Christer Persson, who will also work alongside current Dons’ first-team coach Peter Leven.

Leven will continue to take the Aberdeen first-team for the rest of the season, including the Scottish Cup semi-final with Celtic. Swedish sources have confirmed that Thelin will leave Elfsborg after their clash with IFK Gothenburg on June 1st. Elfsborg are already well down the road in replacing him, with Peter Wettergren and Oscar Hiljemark likely to step in.

Elfsborg sports director Stefan Andreasson has refused to comment on Thelin’s pending move. Andreasson said: "I have no comments to make on the speculation. Jimmy Thelin is our manager and the day he leaves we will have clear ideas on how to move forward, but I want to point out that we are not in that position today. We are just at the beginning of our season and Jimmy is the manager of the club."

Aberdeen have been pushing for a deal with chairman Dave Cormack making Thelin their No. 1 priority for several weeks. The Swede had been on Aberdeen’s shortlist since last season when he missed out on the job to Barry Robson.

Thelin was on their original shortlist and although he was always keen on the job he was reluctant to leave Elfsborg in the lurch so close to their new season. Aberdeen went back in and Elfsborg tried to play hardball and were even reluctant to hold talks but Cormack, however, refused to take no for an answer and his persistence now has paid off.

Thelin has managed Ljungarum and Jonkopings Sodra before he built up Elfsborg, who missed out on the title in the last game of the season. Aberdeen have been without a boss since Barry Robson departed in January and then interim Neil Warnock quit after their Scottish Cup win over Kilmarnock.