Reports in the media suggest that Sunderland manager Roy Keane is set to axe 11 players from his squad in order to start rebuilding for next season. Having spent £40m already and having kept the Black Cats in the Premiership on the strength of a good run since January, Keane has now asked for an additional £50m to ensure regular Premiership football in the North East.

Ian Harte, former Celtic player Stanislav Varga, Stephen Wright and veteran striker Andy Cole have already been told they will not get new contracts. Speculation is rife as to who else will be shown the door, but for Aberdeen fans the most eagerly awaited news will be what happens to former player and Scotland regular Russell Anderson.

Having left Aberdeen in a £1m move in June last year, Anderson has made only one league appearance for Sunderland, coming on as substitute for McShane and bringing down Wigans Antoine Sibierski  to concede a penalty seven minutes after later. He was then injured before being farmed out to Championship side Plymouth on loan spell where he's made 14 appearances (together with former Aberdeen team-mate Chris Clarke).

Meanwhile, Aberdeen have suffered since losing their influential captain in central defence. Diamond, Mair and Considine are good players. Maybury would be a great addition should he stay at Pittodrie. Richie Byrne is on his way out and Dave Bus is returning to the Netherlands. We could clearly use a player with the experience and skill of Russell Anderson to steady the back four as we prepare for next season.

A return to the North East for Anderson is what many fans would like to see, but would he return? Aberdeen would probably struggle to match the wages offered by Sunderland (or even Plymouth - consider that Championship teams and most League 1 teams pay more than Scottish clubs outside the Old Firm) and you would have to wonder whether he'd want to return to his hometown club when he could be earning more - as well as developing his game - by playing in the lower divisions in England. At the end of the day I hope he doesn't turn into a journeyman footballer like Eoin Jess, another player of whom great things where promised but who went from club to club (Bradford, Nottingham Forest, Coventry and Northampton) generally not living up to expectations.

Aberdeen goalkeeper Derek Soutar is set to sign for American MSL outfit Houston Dynamo.  The 26 year old former Scotland under-21 international is expected to be invited to Texas for a trail once the SPL season concludes.

Soutar has been told by Aberdeen he will not be offered a new contract when his current deal expires in the summer.  Houston are managed by former St Johnstone player Dominic Kinnear and coached by retired Scotland international John Spencer. They actively scout in Scottish football and recently recruited English goalkeeper Tony Caig from Gretna.

The Dynamo management team have been impressed by reports on Soutar and are keen to add him to a Scottish colony which includes Aberdeen-born Stuart Holden.

Derek Soutar formerly played with Dundee, as well as loan spells at Alloa and Brechin before arriving at Pittodrie on a free in July 2006. In total he’s made 17 appearances for the Dons and had been set to claim the No 1 jersey following Jamie Langfield’s much publicized troubles with the Aberdeen management. Langfield however has managed to hold on to his place. Along with Derek Soutar, reserve team goalkeeper Greg Kelly has also been released.

With no adequate backup for Langfield, the search for a goalkeeper continues, with ex-Aberdeen player Derek Stillie widely tipped to make a return to the north-east following his relatively unsuccessful spell at League 1’s Gillingham.

Aberdeen recorded only their second win this season against Dundee United at Pittodrie today, making it three home wins in a row and pushing hard to make a late claim for a Uefa Cup spot.

Aberdeen started with Touzani, Scott Severin and Andrew Considine in the back due to injuries adn suspensions, and they were kept busy as United made the livelier start. But goals from Richard Foster and Karim Touzani secured all three points for the Dons, with a Danny Swanson goal for the visitors rounding off an entertaining match.

With Motherwell losing, and Hibs not playing until tomorrow, Aberdeen are now three points from third spot. Our next game is away to Motherwell on the 10th May.

Aberdeen: Langfield, Duff, Severin, Considine, Foster, De Visscher (Lovell 87), Nicholson (Bus 79), Touzani, Young, Miller, Maguire (Walker 73). Subs Not Used: Soutar, Ross.

Booked: Foster, Miller.

Goals: Foster 30, Touzani 48.

Dundee Utd: Zaluska, Dillon, Wilkie, Dods, Grainger, Flood, Kerr (O'Brien 79), Swanson, Gomis (Daly 84), Hunt (Johnny Russell 46), De Vries. Subs Not Used: McLean, Robertson, Kovacevic, Odhiambo.

Booked: Grainger, Dods.

Goal: Swanson 49.

Att: 10,312 , Ref: B Winter

Dundee United travel to Pittodrie tomorrow for the last 'New Firm' derby of the season, knowing that a win is vital to keep up their challenge for European football next season. With The Terrors one point behind third placed Motherwell every game is vital now for Craig Leveins side. Aberdeen meanwhile are in with an outside chance of European football next season but must rely on other teams to get results for them.

Dundee United have the edge over Aberdeen this season, playing four in all competitions, winning three and losing one, inflicting two particularly heavy defeats along the way:

League Cup Aberdeen      1-4 Dundee United
SPL        Dundee United 3-0 Aberdeen 
SPL        Aberdeen      2-0 Dundee United
SPL        Dundee United 1-0 Aberdeen

With defenders Lee Mair and Zander Diamond missing through injury and suspension along with other absentees Darren Mackie, Richie Byrne and Jamie Smith, on-loan defender Alan Maybury’s injury adds another challenge to Calderwood’s plans for tomorrow.

But while third spot in the SPL is still a possibility, Calderwood’s focus is firmly on next season following the expected departure of six players from the Pittodrie side. Having signed Oldham’s former Kilmarnock midfielder Gary McDonald on a pre-contract, he is hoping to have more new recruits secured before the end of the campaign. Dutch youngster Dyon Camero has impressed in his short trail. The 19-year-old FC Zutphen forward will go back to Holland on Sunday, but could return.  Aberdeen defender Alan Maybury’s suspected fractured rib could rule him out for the rest of the season but it will not affect his chances of securing a permanent move to Pittodrie. The on-loan Leicester City player'sloan deal runs out at the end of the campaign, as does his contract at Leicester, but Dons manager Jimmy Calderwood is hoping to make the Republic of Ireland international an integral part of his squad for next season.

Prediction: Aberdeen are unbeaten in their last seven home games, and have not drawn in their last five, whilst United have not win away in three and drawn their last three games.  A tight home win for Aberdeen.

Aberdeen (from): Langfield, Considine, Bus, Touzani, Foster, Walker, Severin, Duff, De Visscher, Young, Lovell, Miller, Maguire, Aluko, Jonathan Smith, Pawlett, Jack, Soutar.

Dundee United (from): Zaluska, Dillon, Dods, Kenneth, Grainger, Wilkie, Kalvenes, Conway, Swanson, Kerr, Flood, Robb, Gomis, Buaben, Hunt, De Vries, O'Brien, Odhiambo, Daly, Robertson, Kovacevic, McLean.

Aberdeen have signed Oldham and former Kilmarnock midfielder Gary McDonald on a pre-contract agreement. In his 87 appearances for the Lancashire club, the Irvine born player has scored 12 goals. He turned down a two year extension to his contract and is said to be delighted to play back in his native Scotland again.

Manager Jimmy Calderwood continues to strengthen his squad for next season, following the clearout of several first team regulars. Barry Nicholson will join Richie Byrne and Dave Bus, striker Lee Miller and keepers Derek Soutar and Greg Kelly on the transfer list of the Pittodrie club. Former Celtic and Wolves player Jackie McNamara has left the club by mutual consent. Forward Sone Aluko will return to Birmingham City at the end of his loan, while the future of midfielder Josh Walker has yet to be decided by Middlesbrough. Both players are hopefully back in the North East next season.

The Aberdeen fans are keenly awaiting the clubs dealings in the transfer market in the upcoming months. With up to six players leaving, a massive rebuilding will need to take place in order to repeat the relative success of the season just passed (a good domestic cup run and a top-half finish). But with transfer money always an issue and the difficulty in competing against the higher wages and glamour of the Old Firm or the Championship, Jimmy Calderwood's job in attracting players to Pittodrie will be a tough one.