Liverpool transfer target Calvin Ramsay is one of the best young full-backs in the world, insists Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin.
And Goodwin warned any club ready to launch a summer move for the teen must meet a valuation which reflects that global status.
Goodwin insists Ramsay’s statistics this season underline his status as one of the hottest young full-backs on the planet.
Quadruple-chasing Liverpool are set to launch a summer transfer bid for the 18-year-old right-back.
Premier League rivals Leeds United are also preparing a move for Ramsay.
However, Liverpool are understood to be confident they can win the race to land the teen.
Italian Serie A clubs also interested
Italian Serie A outfit Sassuolo are also interested in Ramsay and sent a representative to watch him in action recently.
Aberdeen rejected a £4.8m bid in January for Ramsay from Italian top-flight Cagliari.
They could yet revisit a move for the teen in the summer.
Ramsay was recently named the SFWA Young Player of the Year.
Goodwin reckons that award will further ramp up the number of clubs interested in signing Scotland’s top young talent this summer.
He said: “Prior to January, Calvin was probably one of the best young full-backs in the world to be perfectly honest. That is not an over-exaggeration.
“His stats, his data in terms of his attacking numbers, putting crosses in the box were incredible.
“He had a little dip in form.
“Whether that was because his head was turned in January with whether he was moving or not moving.
“As a young lad that can all weigh you down. But I think against Dundee we saw him getting back to his best.”
Liverpool target summer swoop
Liverpool have identified Ramsay as understudy to, and potential cover, for England international right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.
A product of the Pittodrie Youth Academy, the teen is contracted to the Dons until summer 2024.
Ramsay recently revealed he had studied footage of Alexander-Arnold in a bid to emulate his style of play.
The teen also indicated he was confident of eventually emulating Scottish full-backs Andy Robertson (Liverpool) and Kieran Tierney (Arsenal) by making an impact in the English top flight.
Ramsay top of the world for assists
In January, the Press and Journal revealed how Ramsay posted the most assists of any teenage defender in world football.
Up until the January window, Ramsay had also registered the fourth-highest number of assists of any teen in any position across every league in world football.
Of teenagers in all positions across world football, only three had more assists than Ramsay.
They were: £60m-rated Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz, £25m-valued Sparta Prague striker Adam Hlozek and Borussia Dortmund’s £100m-rated England international Jude Bellingham.
POTY award will ramp up interest
Aberdeen are primed for summer bids for Ramsay.
Goodwin accepts every player has a valuation and Aberdeen will have to ‘consider every option’ if that is met.
🚀 Calvin Ramsay 👏🏽
⚽ A first ever Aberdeen goal for our @AberdeenFCYouth Academy graduate.#StandFree | @calvinramsay03 pic.twitter.com/NwkhzPBjpw
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) April 3, 2022
Goodwin said: “I know there’s a lot of interest in Calvin.
“With him winning the Writers’ award last week and being up for other awards that is going to generate more interest.
“What happens in the summer will happen.
“Every player has got valuations.
“If someone comes in and are very serious about taking a player then obviously we will have to consider every option.”
Clubs across Europe monitoring teen
The teenage defender has made 33 appearances this season and made a breakthrough at Scotland U21 international level.
During the January transfer window, Tottenham, Leicester City and Southampton all sent scouts to watch Ramsay in action.
Manchester United and Leicester City are understood to have given serious consideration to late January bids.
Such was Ramsay’s impact, West Ham, Newcastle United and Watford were also tracking the teen during the winter window.
In January, Aberdeen rejected an initial £3.3m bid for Ramsay from Italians Bologna.
The Serie A club returned with a further bid and proposed to take Ramsay on loan for £800,000 until the end of the season.
Bologna wanted an option to make the deal permanent this summer for £4.8m. That proposal was rejected by the Dons.
German Bundesliga outfits Eintracht Frankfurt and Hoffenheim were also keen on the Pittodrie youth academy graduate in January.
Why Ramsay was recently benched
Despite the imminent summer race to sign Ramsay, Aberdeen supporters will have been surprised to see the teen on the bench recently.
Ramsay was a substitute in the back to back home defeats to Livingston (2-1) and Ross County (1-0),
Midfielder Funso Ojo started at right-back in those games.
Ramsay returned to the starting line-up in the 1-0 defeat of Dundee at the weekend.
Goodwin revealed he was protecting the teen.
He said: “Calvin has had a couple of niggles this season and we are trying to protect him as best we can.
“He is only 18 years old at the end of the day and has had a problem with his thigh.
“Thankfully that is completely cleared up now.
“We are just trying to manage him as best we can.”
