Toyosi Olusanya's potential permanent move to Aberdeen remains in limbo as Houston Dynamo have yet to confirm whether they will trigger a one-year option on the striker's contract.
Deal depends on Dynamo's decision
The Dons are eager to sign the 28-year-old on a permanent basis. Manager Stephen Robinson stated several weeks ago that he would push to secure Olusanya this summer. Aberdeen have a deal in place, but it hinges on Dynamo waiving their option. However, the Major League Soccer club has not provided official confirmation.
Given that Olusanya rarely featured for Dynamo, it is unlikely they will exercise the option. However, the issue for Aberdeen is that Dynamo could still trigger it if they see an opportunity to secure a transfer fee. Until a decision is made, both the club and the player remain in uncertainty.
The Dons hope to receive an answer before pre-season training resumes next week, or even sooner.
Olusanya keen to stay
At the end of the season, Olusanya expressed his desire to remain at Aberdeen: "I would be lying if I said that I didn't want to stay at a club the size of Aberdeen. The fans are amazing, the club's brilliant with so much talent and potential. There's no doubt it can go far and really compete at the top of Scottish football. So hopefully we can sit down in the summer and assess what can happen next. I haven't heard from Houston but that'll probably happen when their season is finished. But they do have an option in their favour so we need to see what happens."
He formed a productive partnership with top scorer Kevin Nisbet during his loan spell.
Robinson's stance
Robinson previously confirmed his desire to keep Olusanya, adding that the move to America had not been ideal for the forward. The Englishman struggled for game time and had loans at Doncaster Rovers and then Aberdeen. He was brought to Aberdeen by sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel in January, before Robinson took over as manager.
Robinson said: "Certainly we will try to sign him. I believe the American club has got an option to extend it, but it's something that we'll be looking at and actively discussing. He's involved in so many things good that we do, and I've worked with him previously, and he's a super boy. He is infectious around the place."
The 28-year-old has remained in Aberdeen since his loan ended. He previously played for Robinson at St Mirren.
Summer rebuild underway
Robinson has already begun his summer rebuild with several early signings. Lewis Mayo and Bead Lyons have joined from Kilmarnock, midfielder Alexander Briedl arrived from BW Linz, and Dan Happe came from Leyton Orient. Record Sport also reported that Connor Ronan will move from Colorado Rapids when the transfer window reopens.
Aberdeen still need to offload several players to free up budget for further additions. Western Sydney Wanderers are keen on a return for Nicolas Milanovic. Alexander Jensen is wanted by Scandinavian clubs, including Malmo, while Ante Palaversa and Marko Lazetic also attract interest. The club will attempt to move on Kusini Yengi and Peter Ambrose after disappointing loan spells.
Any fees Robinson generates will allow him to strengthen his squad further. He has targeted players with more power, physicality, and knowledge of the Scottish game, areas he identified as lacking last season when the team struggled near the bottom of the league.
