Dave Cormack vows there will be no pillaging of Pittodrie after announcing £1million wage cuts to Aberdeen staff.
The Dons chairman made it crystal clear Derek McInnes ’ prized assets won’t be flogged on the cheap, despite the coronavirus cash issues which led to salary reductions across the board.
Dons made the cuts to help plug a £10million shortfall and close a “widening funding gap” caused by the financial effects of the pandemic.
However, while the club must be prudent, Cormack will be angered if anyone tries to pinch stars such as Sam Cosgrove and Scott McKenna with meagre bids.
He said: “We will not bend over and be taken for granted as far as selling players are concerned.
“That’s like a red rag to a bull to me. People not wanting to pay full and fair value for the players.
“It’s important to have the right strategy in place and to hold to your values.
“We most certainly have got an edict where we’ll get value for the players.
“Obviously, the English season is just finishing, teams know where they are and the transfer window is open until October, so we’ll see how it goes.
“It depends on the offers that come in and the sell-ons. We just need to wait and see but we are going into this season not expecting to sell a player.
“The gap that we have got there, I believe we will fill that gap. For example, we’re on the way to looking at a government loan, so we have many irons in the fire to deal with this.
“If the right offer comes in for Aberdeen, whatever that is, we may take it. It really comes down to supply and demand.”
Cormack accepted a bid of over £2m for Cosgrove from French side Guingamp recently, only for the English striker to reject the move.
But he explained the dynamics of that proposed deal and said: “The offer for Sam came in at the eleventh hour, literally. There wasn’t enough time for the player to consider what it might be.
“For me, it was about doing the right thing. The package for us was substantial, it was over £2m and it was cash up front.
“The sell-on for Sam was significant and that was from a club that has a track record in selling players at real value, so it depends on who comes in.
“We felt it was important to give that opportunity to Sam to have a look at it late in the day. It is what it is, there is no issue in that.”
