Aberdeen star Andrew Considine’s bold Rangers claim could be tested in January

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The Dons have got used to second place in recent years but their status as Celtic’s closest challengers is under threat.

Andrew Considine’s claim that Aberdeen have a stronger squad than Rangers could well be tested in the coming months with twelve of the Dons players out of contract.

The teams of Derek McInnis and Mark Warburton are locked in a battle with Ian Cathro’s Hearts to pick up the consolation prize of ‘best of the rest’ in the Scottish Premiership this season as Celtic cruise towards another top flight title.

And, while Rangers brought in a vast number of players in the summer, from experienced veterans such as Niko Kranjcar and Philippe Senderos (below) to youngsters with a point to prove a la Joe Dodoo and Jordan Rossiter, Considine beleives his Aberdeen side have better quality players at their disposal.

“Beating Rangers to second spot is something the manager told us we need to achieve,” the versatile defender (below) told the Daily Record. “I feel we have a stronger squad than they have and we’ve proven that over the last few years.”

Such a claim appears odd given that the two sides hadn’t met in league competition since 2012, although they have picked up a win apiece in their two meetings in the league this season.

The Dons may have been the closest challengers to Celtic in recent years, finishing second two seasons in a row but Rangers’ return means a repeat is far from guaranteed this time around or, indeed, in the near future.

Because, as reported by the Daily Record, a grand total of 12 Aberdeen players are out of contract in the summer and therefore free to discuss deals with other clubs.

And this is not merely fringe players; the list includes captain Ryan Jack, talismanic Northern Ireland international Niall McGinn (below) and Considine himself.

Therefore, with the pulling power of Rangers sure to entice players north of the border, Aberdeen are facing up to the prospect of losing their status as perennial runners-up.