Aberdeen manager Craig Brown has stressed he has cut his budget this season after being "disturbed" by comments from rival Clydesdale Bank Premier League managers that he has been lucky to bring in several players.
Brown pulled off some good business earlier in the summer by signing Irish wingers Jonny Hayes and Niall McGinn, and he has added former Scotland left-back Gary Naysmith and on-loan Sheffield Wednesday defender Mark Reynolds in recent weeks.
But the Dons boss was eager to point out that the club received an undisclosed fee from Wigan for Fraser Fyvie while releasing seven first-team players.
Rory McArdle, Darren Mackie, Youl Mawene, Yoann Folly, Mohamed Chalali, Danny Uchechi and Kari Arnason all departed Pittodrie.
Brown, speaking ahead of Wednesday's Scottish Communities League Cup second-round clash with Morton at Cappielow, said: "There have been things said that 'Aberdeen are lucky, they have been able to bring in two good players in McGinn and Hayes'.
"Aberdeen let go seven players at the end of last season and sold Fyvie.
"I have heard other managers say 'Aberdeen are lucky'. You could argue we were unlucky.
"We let seven go and at least five of them were good earners. Rory McArdle, Kari Arnason, Youl Mawene and Darren Mackie, guys like that left.
"The other players, Chalali and Uchechi, weren't terribly expensive but they were players we were paying.
"We have reduced spending like every other club.
"You hear 'Aberdeen are splashing out' and we have been as prudent as any team in the financial situation."
Brown revealed some fringe players could go out on loan before the end of August if clubs meet their wage demands.
He added: "If players go out on loan, we're not going to get the money because we have hit our playing budget for the season.
"When Mark Reynolds came back the directors were really generous to me, allowing me to sign Naysmith and Reynolds. They could easily have said one or the other.
"I give great credit to the chairman and chief executive for that.
"So I sit here without a complaint but I'm sometimes a little disturbed at what I hear other managers saying.
"How can you be lucky if you bring in four and let eight go and bring in a transfer fee? Where else has that happened?
"I don't talk about other clubs' business but I see others talk about us and maybe that's a compliment to us."
Aberdeen were impressive in their 2-1 SPL win at St Johnstone on Saturday but Brown has warned that counts for nothing against Irn-Bru First Division Morton.
The Dons were knocked out of last season's competition by East Fife and needed a last-minute replay winner to beat Queen of the South in the William Hill Scottish Cup.
"We have got to be aware of the difficulties we had at Queen of the South last season away from home," Brown said.
"So there will be no complacency. We have to be properly focused."
