Aberdeen have signed Scotland Under 21 international Ross McCrorie from Rangers.
Due to financial restrictions stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, the 20-year-old joins the club on a loan deal until the end of the 2020/21 season.
He will then become a permanent part of the Aberdeen squad for a further three years starting next June.
The signing comes amid recent speculation the midfielder was considering a move to Hibernian. Still, manager Derek McInnes said he "couldn't be more pleased" to have McCrorie ultimately join the Dons.
The Club tonight confirms the loan signing of Scotland Under 21 International, Ross McCrorie, from Rangers on a deal until the end of the 2020/21 season. Ross will become a permanent Aberdeen player in June 2021 on a three-year deal. Welcome to Pittodrie Ross! Read more 👇 — Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) August 17, 2020
"I've admired Ross for a while but was aware of the challenges we faced to get him," he said.
"I'm thankful we've now got the chance to work with him.
"I'm looking forward to helping him try to fulfil his potential in an Aberdeen shirt and delighted that he has shown real desire to become our player."
McInnes added McCrorie would go straight into the squad for Thursday's match at St Johnstone.
"We've got a lot of games to play in the coming weeks, we've got games to catch up on as well as our Europa League match," he said.
🎥 | You can hear from Ross & Derek McInnes on RedTV now 🔴 Ross ➡ https://t.co/qFlpMH0QHO🔴 Derek ➡ https://t.co/XkzJRjPWag#StandFree pic.twitter.com/bY5guHLYSI — Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) August 17, 2020
"We'll have a lot of games in a short space of time and we're still carrying injuries so having as strong a squad as possible is vital for us to fulfil our goals this season.
"Getting Ross in is part of our long-term succession planning and his arrival signals the start of our preparations for next season's transfer business.
"Young Scottish players such as Ross don't become available very often and we've had a lot of success in the past signing such players but for both the long-term and short-term, Ross is a fantastic signing for us."
