Aberdeen have completed the signing of Belgian midfielder Funso Ojo from League Two side Scunthorpe United for a fee of £125,000.

The move has come as a bit of a surprise to Dons fans, as it was believed that domestic rivals Hibernian would win the race to secure the 27-year old's signature.

However, following late talks with Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes, the midfielder has opted to head to the North East as the Dons gear up for the coming Scottish Premiership season.

Speaking to the club's website, the midfielder, who made his professional debut with PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, highlighted the reasons that ultimately led him to sign for the club.

He said: “The reason I chose Aberdeen was because of all the effort they put into it.

"I visited the new training facility. That was impressive. All the technology is going to be state of the art. The manager played a massive part in my decision. He was willing to come and get me in the middle of the night. But I drove up myself and then he spent the full day with me. That made me feel welcome."

Ojo also emphasised how big the lure of European football was in making his decision.

He added: "European football is a massive attraction. Hopefully the boys can get through on Thursday in Finland. The Europa League is a very good level and I want to play in those games. I will be pushing the lads to get some goals in! Hopefully we can even make the group stage."

What can the Belgian bring to Aberdeen?

Upon signing for the Dons, Ojo stated that he wants to be "the link between the players and be the manager on the pitch".

Despite being part of the Scunthorpe side that were relegated to League Two last season, the capture of Ojo should excite fans at Pittodrie.

The Belgian has been described as a defensive midfielder who is very effective in winning and retaining the ball for his team, whilst keeping his own game fairly simple. He was able to establish himself as an important player at Scunthorpe, who came very close to gaining promotion to the Championship in 2017 when the Iron reached the playoff semi-finals.

Within manager McInnes' favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, Ojo will face stiff competition from the likes of Craig Bryson and youngsters Lewis Ferguson and Dean Campbell for a place in the line up.

McInnes has long sought after a natural defensive midfield player who is content to let the more expressive players create attacking opportunities and openings, but also has the ability and intelligence to be a solid and reliable screen in front of the back four.

Ojo, who made over 100 appearances in the Eredivisie in the Netherlands in combined spells with PSV, FC Dordrecht and Willem II, could well be the man to fill that vacancy.

Unfortunately for the Red Army, they will not get to see their new man in action in this Thursday's second leg of their First Round Europa League qualifier against Finnish outfit RoPS Rovaniemi, as he has not been signed in time to meet the squad registration deadline.

However the 27-year old will be available for future European outings should the Dons qualify, and he will look to make himself an instant hit with the Pittodrie faithful as they prepare to once again challenge at the top end of the Scottish Premiership.

VAVEL Logo
About the author