ABERDEEN manager Jimmy Calderwood hopes July will be busy on the transfer front at Pittodrie after a quiet start to the summer.
Several senior players left the club at the end of last season, including midfielder Barry Nicholson, who will join Coca-Cola Championship side Preston on a Bosman free transfer.
Preston yesterday revealed Nicholson, 29, has agreed to a two-year
contract at Deepdale with an option for a third year. The club's website said: "Preston North End can confirm that they will sign Scottish midfielder Barry Nicholson subject to a medical. He arrives at Deepdale to become the club's first signing of the summer."
Calderwood secured former Kilmarnock midfielder Gary McDonald from Oldham on a pre-contract in April as a replacement for Nicholson but has made no more major additions to his squad.
French goalkeeper Bertrand Bossu joined on a free transfer from Walsall and is expected to be a reserve, while 17-year-old Northern Irish midfielder Sammy Stewart has also arrived.
Aberdeen, who face Manchester United in a friendly a week on Saturday, are eager to strengthen their first team, but Calderwood admits it proved difficult to negotiate deals during June.
"If you look all over the board, apart from the big, big clubs, it's been slow," he said.
"There's not been a lot happening anywhere really. It's been very difficult but hopefully we can speed that up in the coming weeks."
Calderwood confirmed there was no progress to report on a permanent move for defender Alan Maybury, who remains a target after a successful loan spell with Aberdeen in the second half of last season.
The full article contains 278 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
