Jimmy Thelin admits it will be ‘really easy’ to get ‘quality’ Aberdeen star up to speed

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Aberdeen have certainly been one of the busiest Premiership teams in the January transfer window.

The Pittodrie club’s board declared boss Jimmy Thelin would be backed this month to deliver the quality needed for the second half of the season and beyond.

Thelin and his recruitment team have signed four players so far with just over a week until deadline day in Scotland.

Centre-back Kristers Tobers joined for £700k from Grasshopper, while versatile defender Alexander Jensen signed from IF Brommapojkarna for a similar fee.

Aberdeen have also made two loan signings as Alfie Dorrington joined from Tottenham Hotspur and winger Jeppe Okkels arrived from Preston North End.

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Jimmy Thelin vows to get best out of Aberdeen’s Jeppe Okkels

Okkels has perhaps earned the most scrutiny since joining the Granite City club with fans yet to be convinced by the Dane who was signed for £3m by Utrecht from Elfsborg just a year ago.

He’s played twice for Aberdeen so far against Hearts and Rangers before spending time on the bench against Elgin City in the Scottish Cup.

Of course, it’s still early days for Okkels who is aiming to find the form he produced at Elfsborg when Thelin was his manager.

Thelin has great belief in the 25-year-old former Denmark U21 star and actually admits it will be “really easy” for Okkels to deliver his quality in the system Aberdeen have adopted under the Swede.

Thelin said of Okkels: “He got an injury in Holland. I know what he is capable of and I want to help him get back to that level.

“I think for me it’s more to use his strengths here and I think that’s quite easy to adapt to what we want to do here.

“It is not exactly the same as Elfsborg but there are some similarities. I know what he can do so I know the player also and I can use him in the best way for the team.

“He is adapting quickly to the team out on the training pitch but if you haven’t played so much you always have to be a little bit smart in how you load the players.

“Jeppe knows what he wants to do and I think he can bring this quality. That’s the trust he has there. Then of course he always has to adapt to new teammates, new opponents.

“But the basics for him are really easy to adapt to.”

Okkels one of Preston’s most ‘baffling signings’

Okkel’s time at Utrecht did not work out, as touched upon by Thelin above. He only played five games due to an injury and he joined Preston North End seven months later.

The Deepdale side shelled out around £1.7m for the winger but his career there could already be over after being allowed to leave on loan to Aberdeen.

Okkels featured 10 times this season for Preston without registering a goal or an assist, with one Preston fan account on X labelling him one of the club’s most baffling signings ever.

Can Thelin work his magic and prove to Aberdeen fans that Okkels’ arrival in the Granite City was worth it? He thinks it won’t take much to do so, but only time will tell.