Aberdeen have made an approach to Scottish Premiership rivals St Mirren for manager Stephen Robinson.

The Pittodrie club have announced they have “been officially given permission to enter formal talks” with the 51-year-old Northern Irishman about their managerial vacancy.

Peter Leven has been in caretaker charge since Aberdeen sacked Jimmy Thelin in early January.

But they suffered a bruising 3-0 defeat by second-tier Dunfermline Athletic in Saturday’s Scottish Cup quarter-final and have won just once in eight outings.

Robinson, meanwhile, led St Mirren to their second cup semi-final of the season on Sunday as the Paisley side defeated Partick Thistle having already gone on to lift the League Cup in November.