Patience required with Ayoub Mouloua but Aberdeen striker will hit goal trail, says boss Stephen Robinson

Aberdeen boss Stephen Robinson insists patience will be needed with Ayoub Mouloua as the striker adjusts to Scottish football.

However, he is confident the Moroccan international, who has yet to score in a competitive match since signing in late June, will hit the goal trail.

Aberdeen outlaid an undisclosed six-figure fee to land Mouloua this summer on a three-year deal from Moroccan top flight FUS Rabat.

The Dons hold the option to extend Mouloua’s contract by another 12 months until summer 2030.

Robinson confident Mouloua ‘will score goals’

When Mouloua signed for the Dons Robinson highlighted how the striker had posted similar stats to fellow Morocco international Hamza Igamane prior to his transfer to Rangers.

Igamane moved to the Ibrox club in summer 2024 from Moroccan top-flight AS FAR.

In his debut season at Ibrox, Igamane scored 16 goals to earn a £10.4million transfer to French Ligue 1 side Lille.

Mouloua, 23, has yet to start for the Dons first-team and has featured off the bench in all seven of the competitive matches so far this season.

However, the attacker recently netted a double – both penalties-  for the Dons B team in a 3-0 win at Forfar in the KDM Evolution Trophy.

Robinson is confident the striker will start scoring regularly for the first team.

He said: “Confidence-wise Ayoub is great and he is getting into scoring positions.

“I always say to the strikers if you’re getting in those positions and we’re creating the chances, then we can live with that.

“Ayoub has come in from a completely different culture and is getting used to the intensity of the game and the size of the football club.

“Certainly it will take a little bit of time and we have to be patient with these players.

“I’m confident Ayoub will score goals.”

In a bid to ramp up his integration into Scottish football Mouloua is learning English on a fast-track three-month course with daily classes.

It is the same course that helped former Aberdeen stars Bojan Miovski (North Macedonia) and Ylber Ramadani (Albania).

Robinson’s striker options

Robinson recently boosted his attacking options further with the signing of striker/winger Mitchy Ntelo.

Belgian Ntelo was secured for a six-figure fee from Swiss second-tier Yverdon-Sport FC on a two-year deal.

Aberdeen hold the option to extend the contract to a third year.

Ntelo was pitched straight into the starting line-up for the 3-0 Premier Sports Cup win against Dundee.

That debut came days after his international clearance came through.

Striker/winger Ntelo had only had three days training with the Dons.

He repaid Robinson’s faith with a stunning debut goal.

Robinson also signed striker Toyosi Olusanya from Houston Dynamo in the summer transfer window.

Olusanya, who was on loan at Aberdeen in the second half of last season, has started the last four games.

Striker Kevin Nisbet, recently confirmed as club captain, has netted nine goals in the opening seven games of the season.

Robinson said: “When you sign for Aberdeen, if you’re not successful in the first 30 seconds, then you get judged.

“I feel Ayoub can really have an impact and it is up to him to force his way into the starting line-up.

“Certainly Ayoub and Mitchy gives us good options in the forward areas.

“Obviously, everybody wants to play.”

[Source: Press and Journal]