The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Dons set to miss out on Pollock and Kerr
Aberdeen’s search for a central defensive signing looks likely to move away from both Watford’s Mattie Pollock and Wigan Athletic’s Jason Kerr, with suggestions both will be staying put at their parent clubs.
The Press and Journal revealed yesterday the Dons could make two more signings before the window shuts tomorrow night and multiple options for both a centre-back and attacker were being explored.
The Reds hoped to get clarity today, following scans, on the severity of Montenegro international centre-half Slobodan Rubezic’s knee problem.
But the injury, suffered by the stopper in last week’s draw with St Johnstone, is expected to sideline the summer signing for a significant period – potentially months. Rubezic, 23, has been pictured on social media wearing a knee brace in recent days.
With Stefan Gartenmann struggling with a toe issue, Aberdeen had several centre-back reinforcement options lined up.
Among those options had been loan deals for Watford’s Mattie Pollock or former St Johnstone skipper Jason Kerr, now at Wigan Athletic.
Pollock had a successful loan spell at Pittodrie in the second half of last season as Aberdeen battled to third place in the Premiership.
Aberdeen had inquired about bringing Pollock, who is contracted with Watford for two more years, back to the north-east for another loan until the end of the season. However, last night the Vicarage Road club tweeted Pollock will be staying to fight for his place in the second half of the campaign.
An alternative loan option which had been worked on by the Dons hierarchy was cup double-winning ex-St Johnstone captain Kerr, who is out of contract at Wigan this summer.
Kerr recently returned to action for League One Wigan after more than a year out following a serious knee injury, and started their defeat to Stevenage at the weekend.
Though a deal to bring Kerr to Pittodrie was close in recent days, he too looks set to stay with his parent club in second half of the season, according to Wigan Today, with the Latics said to be keen to not only keep the 26-year-old at the club in the coming months, but to tie him to a new contract.