What Aberdeen boss Stephen Robinson sees in Ayoub Mouloua’s game already which has him convinced striker will hit Dons goal trail

Boss Stephen Robinson thinks Aberdeen fans should see from striker Ayoub Mouloua’s early outings “there is a really good player there, who is really sharp” – including one vital part of his game.

The Dons paid a six-figure fee to land 23-year-old Moroccan frontman Mouloua from FUS Rabat as part of their summer rebuild.

After visa red-tape prevented him from travelling to Aberdeen’s pre-season camp in the Netherlands, Mouloua came off the bench in all four of the Dons’ Premier Sports Cup group matches, as the Reds’ finished with a 100% record in the group to set up a last-16 tie at home to Dundee next month.

Mouloua, who scored 19 times in 53 outings for his former club, came close to finding the net for the Dons on a few occasions in the League Cup – despite his fleeting appearances, still getting used to the different fitness requirements in Scotland and learning English.

The striker will hope to break his duck on Saturday evening, when Aberdeen kick off their 2026/27 Premiership season against Hearts at Pittodrie.

Nevertheless, there is one key element which has Aberdeen head coach Robinson, who reiterated the need to be patient with the new signing, convinced the forward will prove a success for the Dons – his positioning knack.

Robinson said: “We buy players at Aberdeen and if they’re not hitting the ground running within two weeks, we give up on them – and that can’t be the case. We have to be patient.

“It is a different culture and he is learning the language. We have an interpreter with him helping and we have seen a difference.

“He needs to get to the level of training and the fitness levels are different. We need to take our time with that one.

“I think you see from the small bits already there is a really good player there, who is really sharp.

“What I like about him is that he is always in the right position.

“He hasn’t managed to get the ball over the line yet, but he is always in the right position.

“If you are in there you will miss chances, but I want him in there being brave with his runs.

“He is starting to buy into things we want as well.”

Yogane given break from being Mouloua’s French translator

Robinson previously revealed to The Press and Journal English winger Tony Yogane, another summer addition, was helping to translate more complicated instructions into French so Mouloua could understand them.

Yogane, signed from Brentford, speaks fluent French due to his parents’ hailing from Ghana.

Robinson confirmed Aberdeen have brought in additional assistance to help interpret for Mouloua, who has been enrolled in intensive English lessons, saying: “We have given Tony a break from the French.

“We are trying to help everybody we have brought in.

“When you bring in players from abroad and different environments you need to help them settle in quickly.

“If they don’t hit the ground running in the first 15 minutes then we need to show patience. We are here to develop them and we are going to do that.”

Robinson: Aberdeen youngsters won’t develop sitting on our bench

Robinson recently confirmed Aberdeen were still assessing whether to send young players on the edges of the first-team out on loan this season.

These include left-sided defender Jamie Mercer – who suffered an ankle injury in pre-season – and midfielder Findlay Marshall.

Elaborating further on his reasons why further loans may be green-lit, Robinson said: “I don’t believe that players develop sitting on a bench. Sometimes they want to for their Instagram and to say they are an Aberdeen player, (but) you need to play football matches to develop.

“I think Aberdeen do that very well. We don’t run a development squad every week outside of the fixtures – we put boys out on loan.

“We have boys at Cove, Elgin and Inverness.”

Robinson says loans can not only get young players ready for Aberdeen’s first-team, but also help secure the careers of youngsters who don’t make the Dons grade.

He added: “It is very important because it puts them in the shop window and helps their careers.

“When they get to 21, they have a profile, instead of getting to that age and not having played any games.

“It could also lead to a pathway outside of Aberdeen.

“It shows they can play in the lower leagues and they can handle playing in front of crowds giving them stick, the pressure and managers shouting at them.

“Playing for Aberdeen there is an expectancy that you don’t get unless you play football matches. It is the only way that players get developed.

“If I believe players – who maybe have already played matches here – need to develop more to be starters in a top-six Aberdeen side, then we will look at those (loan) options.”

Central midfielder Marshall, 20, made his long-awaited Aberdeen debut in the 3-0 Premier Sports Cup victory against Kelty Hearts on Saturday, having earned a new contract during a sparkling loan stint with Championship Arbroath last term.

Having moved into the first-team squad, Marshall had to wait for game-time during the League Cup, but was sent on by Robinson for the final 16 minutes against League Two Kelty – alongside 15-year-old Andrew Fasanya.

[Source: Press and Journal]