Sivert Nilsen reckons boss Jimmy Thelin will unearth more hidden gems to get Aberdeen sparkling again.
Thelin started his January recruitment drive with a swoop for winger Jeppe Okkels on loan from Preston. And Nilsen has backed the Dons gaffer and head of recruitment Nuno de Almeida to bring in more diamonds to help them for the second half of the season. The Reds have an option to buy Okkels for a record fee in the summer and they have now turned their attention to defensive reinforcements.
Nilsen is in no doubt that Thelin and de Almeida can unearth gems, make them shine and sell them on and make millions like they did at their former club Elfsborg. Nilsen, who also played at Elfsborg, said: “Nuno was there for six months when I was at Elfsborg and he is a passionate guy.
“He helped them to get some very good players who they then sold on to other clubs. I’m not talking about me as I’m an average player and hopefully help others around me. But he has good experience from the Portuguese league where he was with Rio Ave and Porto.
“And as a scout for a club like Porto I imagine you will have a lot of very good contacts. So it’s a very good thing for the club to bring him in as he knows the European markets.”
Dons already tabled bids for Grasshoppers defender Kristers Tobers and Brommapojkarna’s Alexander Jensen with the Pittodrie board making significant funds available. Injuries to Gavin Molloy and Jack Milne, along with Slobodan Rubezic’s suspension means they badly need central defenders.
Angus MacDonald is the only fit centre-half and the Dons ended Sunday’s defeat at Motherwell with Sivert Nilsen and Dante Polvara there. It has been no real surprise to see Thelin look at the Swedish market where he built his reputation with Elfsborg.
Okkels is no stranger to Thelin as he signed the Dane from Silkeborg and then sold him to Utrecht for around £3million. He then moved on to Preston but his lack of game time has opened the door for his former boss to reignite his career at Pittodrie.
Jensen is a fellow Dane who has made an impact in Sweden and is wanted by Aberdeen. The versatile Brommapojkarna star can play both full-back positions and in midfield but so far they have been unable to strike an agreement.
De Almeida is looking worldwide and has also identified Latvian captain Tobers, with the club locked in talks with his club Grasshoppers. Thelin and the Red Army will be looking for a first win in 10 games when Hearts visit Pittodrie on Sunday.
Nilsen said: “The understanding is getting better of each other’s roles and qualities more and more. For me as a midfielder it’s very important to know where and when the players need the ball to get the best out of them. We are still a new team who are blending players into the first 11 and the more we play the better we’ll be.”