Sam Cosgrove staying with Aberdeen as Derek McInnes confirms bids for striker

Derek McInnes may be uncertain if Scott McKenna will still be an Aberdeen player when they start the Europa League third round qualifier in Croatia next week but he is certain Sam Cosgrove will face Rijeka.
Aberdeen's Sam Cosgrove celebrates the first goal of his hat-trick. Picture: Ian Rutherford/PA WireAberdeen's Sam Cosgrove celebrates the first goal of his hat-trick. Picture: Ian Rutherford/PA Wire
Aberdeen's Sam Cosgrove celebrates the first goal of his hat-trick. Picture: Ian Rutherford/PA Wire

McKenna has been the subject of of bids that have fallen well short of the valuation the Dons board have put on the international defender ahead of the English transfer window closing on Thursday.​

Meanwhile, Cosgrove’s impressive goalscoring record, highlighted by his first senior hat-trick in last night’s 5-0 demolition of Georgian opponents Chikhura Sachkhere for a 6-1 aggregate win, has not gone unnoticed.​

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That took his tally to six in the four ties, making him the top scorer in the Europa League at this early stage while his overall average is not far short of a goal every game since the start of last December.​

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes celebrates at full time. Picture: SNSAberdeen manager Derek McInnes celebrates at full time. Picture: SNS
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes celebrates at full time. Picture: SNS

McInnes knows the inevitable consequence but said: “We’ve had enquires about Sam already from other clubs but he will be staying with us this season. ​ Sam’s got 25 goals in 32 games, which is incredible but we will try to keep those goalscoring stats to ourselves until the window shuts! He’s improved so much in a short period of time and hopefully there’s more to come.​

“I think people wrote Sam off too quickly – people who should have known better. I was delighted because his three goals tonight were all different. We tell him to get his movement right and act like he’s a 5ft 9in striker and he moved well to get his shot away [for the first goal].​

“Yes it was deflected but he found the space really well. The second was as good a cross as you see and a fantastic diving header but his third was maybe the best of the lot. ​

“I do feel there’s more to come from Sam but his confidence is growing. He’s got real competition with Curtis Main, who will be an important player for us this season. I think Sam sees that too. We have a couple of strong strikers and Sam has started the season well.”​

The same can be said for the entire team as Aberdeen produced a brand of slick, pacy, attacking football that their opponents couldn’t cope with.​

Now only a Rijeka side the Dons defeated 5-2 on aggregate four years ago stand between them a place in the play-off round of the Europa League qualifiers for the first time since McInnes took charge in 2013.​

“I was very pleased with our performance,” the Aberdeen manager said. “I think people who were not at the game tonight will see the score and think our opponents were maybe not very good. But I thought they were a capable side. Anyone here tonight would have seen how they can go from box to box quickly and they were very comfortable on the ball.”​