Former Aberdeen striker Duncan Shearer has warned midfielder Lewis Ferguson is playing a dangerous game in trying to force a move away from Pittodrie.
The 21-year-old has had a written transfer request rejected by the Dons after they turned down a £2million offer from English Championship runners-up Watford.
The Dons labelled the bid they received for Ferguson, who moved to Pittodrie from Hamilton Accies in 2018, as insulting after announcing they had received and dismissed the player’s request to leave and Shearer believes Aberdeen hold all the power.
He said: “With three years to run on his deal with Aberdeen I can only think Ferguson’s head has been turned by the bid from Watford. He clearly feels after three years he has served his apprenticeship with the club and it is time to move on.
“I wouldn’t say the situation is in his favour though as he is under contract and he is playing a dangerous game. Had he only had a year remaining on his deal a transfer request would have put Aberdeen under some pressure but the club holds the power here.”
Shearer has sympathy for Scotland under-21 international Ferguson, who has watched players such as Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney and John McGinn become stars in the Premier League and knows the midfielder will not want to let his chance pass him by.
He said: “I can understand how Ferguson feels. He is looking at Watford, a club which has been promoted to the Premier League and he will be thinking this is his chance to play in the biggest league in the world.
“Aberdeen and Ferguson have been good for each other but I can sympathise with him. He’ll be looking at this as his chance to make the step up to the EPL and might be wondering if that chance will come his way again which is why he has put the transfer request in.”
The club is greatly disappointed to have received a written transfer request from midfielder Lewis Ferguson today.
This request was rejected immediately.
More details ⬇️
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) May 19, 2021
Ferguson’s agent Bill McMurdo says his client’s decision to ask for a transfer should come as no surprise to the Dons.
He said: “I can confirm that Lewis has handed in a written transfer request to Aberdeen.
“When he signed the extension to his contract he made it clear he saw his future in the English Premier League.
“An English Premier League club has now made an offer, which has been rejected, but the club involved haven’t been given an asking price which is disappointing.”
Shearer knows the Dons risk having an unhappy player on their hands but believes his former club has just cause in holding out for a substantial fee for a key player.
He said: “Aberdeen need to handle this carefully as the last thing they want is an unhappy player in the dressing room. They’ve been here before with Scott McKenna who kept his head down and went on to earn his move to Nottingham Forest.
“They hold the cards here and if they do have to let the player go then they will want a substantial fee for him, certainly much more than the £2million reported fee which has already been turned down.
“There will be a sell-on clause with Hamilton from when he moved to Aberdeen to factor in to this too. He won’t be an easy player to replace and that will need to be reflected by any acceptable offer.”