Derek McInnes has dropped his interest in Shaun Maloney paving the way for the 34-year-old to take up a coaching role at Celtic.
The former Hull City striker was expected to join Aberdeen in time for their Europa League qualifiers but pulled out due to fitness worries.
McInnes praised that honesty but with a coaching offer from Celtic on the table Maloney looks like retiring and taking up a role with Celtic’s Development League side.
On Tuesday night Maloney watched a Celtic XI win 7-0 away to Albion Rovers with a vacancy at the club following the departure of Jim McGuinness to take up a job in China.
Speaking yesterday McInnes told The Sun: “I spoke to Shaun last week and again yesterday and it’s up for him to come out and say what he is wanting to do.
“But he has indicated that he may well look at other options, and those will probably mean not playing again.
“Once Shaun makes his decision known we can speak more about it then. But we’ve had indications, based on what Shaun feels his physical situation is at the minute, that he would probably retire.
“We were well aware of that and it’s not a huge surprise to us.”
Maloney will certainly be kept busy with the Celtic Development squad featuring in five competitions before the turn of the year.
As well as the domestic League and SFA Youth Cup Celtic will take part in the Irn-Bru Cup with a first round tie away to Annan Athletic on August 16.
Either in the group stage or champions route Celtic’s u-19 side will take part in the UEFA Youth League as well as the Premier League International Cup where they have been drawn against Manchester United, Swansea and Athletico Bilbao.