Aberdeen assistant manager Jimmy Nicholl has confirmed the club are close to bringing Alan Maybury back to Pittodrie.
The Republic of Ireland international left in the summer after failing to agree a permanent contract following a loan spell at the club.
The full-back, who was on trial at Bristol City, is still a free agent and manager Jimmy Calderwood has not ruled out a move for the former Leicester and Hearts man.
Nicholl said: "If you can get somebody who can play in a position as naturally as Alan Maybury does, you are obviously going to be interested.
"I know Jimmy has been talking about getting him in and I know he wants him in, but if we don't for whatever reason, be it financial or if he's dragging his feet, he has other things in mind."
However, the Aberdeen assistant laid down the gauntlet to Richie Foster to make the right-back position his own, even if Maybury signs on with the Dons.
"We have spoken about him (Alan Maybury) for the past two or three weeks and that's no disrespect to Richie Foster," said Nicholl.
"The defence has been sound and he has come in at right-back and done a good job there.
"If Alan doesn't come, we can rely on Richie to do a good job for us at right-back. But if he does come then it releases Richie Foster to play in other positions that we are thinking about."
The Dons, who travel to Ayr United on Wednesday in the second round of the Co-operative Insurance Cup, are still hoping to add a few new faces before the recently extended transfer window closes on September 1.
Nicholl said: "I think there will be two or three in before the end of the week. I hope so. Things are in place and it will just depend on the final decision of the player and the player's club."
The Dons will be without the suspended Lee Miller for tonight's match, while Zander Diamond and Scott Severin are almost certain to miss out through injury.
