Barry Robson in Aberdeen plea to out of contract duo as Kelle Roos and Connor Barron stall on new deals
Talks with Barron have been ongoing since last year while Robson expects plenty of interest in Roos.
Barry Robson has urged Kelle Roos and Connor Barron to sign new Aberdeen deals.
The pair are out of contract at the end of the season and the Dons remain in talks with the players and their representatives over extensions. Roos has nailed down the No.1 spot in the last two seasons while Scotland Under-21 captain Barron has come through the Pittodrie ranks. Robson said: “Hopefully both players would like to stay because I have a lot of time for them. They have performed so well. They are good guys and great to have in the dressing room. It is no secret we want to keep them.”
Dutch keeper Roos, who arrived from Derby in 2020, will be 32 when his contract expires so this could be his last chance for a big payday. And Robson has already admitted he faces a fight to keep his No.1 with competition expected from other clubs for his signature.
Talks with Barron have been on-going since last year and if the 21-year-old was to leave then the Dons would get compensation. Negotiations over a new deal were put on hold at the end of 2023 until the player changed his representative with those talks set to resume.
Barron came through the academy under Robson and his manager believes he will get the best out of him if he remains at Aberdeen. The Pittodrie boss said: “I have a lot of affection and so much time for him. He had a bad year with injury but I know how to get the best out of him.
“He is desperate to play in every single game because that is the sort of player he is. He has a really good footballing brain and is a good player.”
Barron has put in some decent performances this season but has been left on the bench for some of the bigger games and the youngster is also one of the lowest-paid members of the first team. Robson’s side returned to training on Thursday as they began Scottish Cup preparations for Friday’s trip to take on Clyde.
Aberdeen have yet to make a move in this transfer window and it’s likely they’ll look to free up some more wages before they add again, although they remain in dialogue about possibly turning defender Stefan Gartenmann’s loan from Midtjylland into a more permanent arrangement.
They let defender Rhys Williams, who didn’t play a competitive first-team game, return to Liverpool. Or Dadia is in the same boat with Hapoel Be’er Sheva considering a potential loan recall.
Midfielder Vicente Besuijen has also failed to make an impact on his return from a loan Excelsior. The Dons paid a six-figure fee to sign him from ADO Den Haag in 2022 but he hasn’t featured after a public falling out with former manager Jim Goodwin.
Robson has always said Besuijen has worked hard in training but the players in front of him deserve to hold on to their shirts. That might change if he remains and the Dons need a bit more creativity in the second half of the season.
Aberdeen are currently in the bottom six but have three games in hand over many of their rivals for a European place. So Robson will be determined to go on a run when the Premiership campaign resumes.