Aberdeen are now an attractive proposition for exciting young signing targets as major clubs across Europe are monitoring Pittodrie.
Benfica striker Luis Lopes is set to be the latest to join Jim Goodwin’s summer rebuild.
The Dons are understood to have agreed a six figure sum with the Portuguese giants for the 22-year-old.
Lopes is set to sign on at Pittodrie on a three-year contract.
Benfica are understood to have agreed a significant sell-on clause for Lopes, also known as Duk, should he ultimately move on from Pittodrie.
That is because Benfica will clearly have noticed top clubs are now regularly watching Aberdeen.
Benfica, like Goodwin’s signing targets, will know if you shine at Pittodrie a big move can come.
Clubs and players across Europe are noticing a transfer to Aberdeen could potentially be a stepping stone to a bigger, more lucrative move.
This summer the Dons will bank £7.5 million for the transfer of Calvin Ramsay and Lewis Ferguson.
That could yet rise to £11m.
Ramsay joined six-time European champions Liverpool in a move where the Reds secured an initial £4.5m.
That could increase to £8m as there is a further potential £3.5m written into the deal in add-ons should teen Ramsay reach certain milestones at Anfield.
Aberdeen also landed £3m for the transfer of Scotland international Ferguson to Italian top flight Bologna.
Two Aberdeen players have secured life-changing moves to major European leagues this summer.
That does not go unnoticed by the Dons’ potential signing targets, nor their clubs.
This year alone Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham, Leeds United, Southampton and Leicester City have sent scouts to Pittodrie.
Clubs from the German Bundesliga were also monitoring Ramsay. A number of clubs from Serie A scouted Ramsay and Ferguson.
Clubs will know that there is a possibility if they sell a talent to the Dons that player, should he impress, could be scouted by a major club.
That could in turn lead to a further cash boost in a sell-on fee should a transfer from Pittodrie to a major league occur.
It is no surprise Benfica have pushed to have a considerable sell-on fee inserted into the deal for Lopes.
Aberdeen beat off competition from clubs in Hungary, Belgium, Poland, Russia and Switzerland to secure Bojan Miovski from MTK Budapest.
North Macedonian international striker Miovski was secured on a four year contract by the Dons for £535,000.
That was a bargain as Austrian club Rapid Vienna had an offer of €1.2 million (£1.03m) for Miovski rejected last summer.
It is understood Czech Republic club Slavia Prague were keen on signing Miovski in January, but were quoted a price of between €1.5m to €2m (£1.28m to £1.71m).
Aberdeen also beat competition from several European clubs to land Albanian international midfielder Ylber Ramadani, also from MTK Budapest.
What Aberdeen can offer prospective signings is the guarantee that they are now on the radar of major clubs across Europe looking for talent.
That is a powerful lure for ambitious young players.
Potential signings and their clubs will look at Ramsay, and now Ferguson, and think they want a piece of that.
Teenage midfield star Connor Barron only made his breakthrough earlier this year but is already on the radar of Celtic and clubs in Belgium.
Aberdeen have opened up talks to secure Barron on an extended contract.
The expected capture of Lopes will ensure five of Aberdeen’s seven summer signings so far will be future sellable assets.
Young players that can be developed and sold on at a substantial profit having delivered one or two seasons of regular first team action.
Lopes is 22 years old and is set to sign a three-year deal.
Also secured on three-year contracts were Jayden Richardson, 21, a £300,000 signing from Nottingham Forest and Ramadani, 26.
Centre-back Liam Scales is 23 but has been secured on a season-long loan from Celtic.
Aberdeen boss Goodwin aims to move to sign Scales on a permanent deal during the January transfer window.
January signing Vicente Besuijen, 21, also falls into that category.
The Dons outlaid £420,000 to Dutch side ADO Den Haag to secure the winger on a four-and-a-half-year contract.
All the young signings, barring Scales, have been secured on three-year deals or longer to protect Aberdeen’s interests, allow the time to reach potential and maximise sell-on value.
The future can be bright at Pittodrie. and beyond, for transfer targets.
New signings quickly bedding in
Aberdeen’s season is up and running with manager Jim Goodwin’s rebuilt side set to host Dumbarton in the Premier Sports Cup tonight.
More than a month after signing, Albanian international Ylber Ramadani is now training with the squad and insists he is fit and ready to play tonight.
Ramadani is set to make his debut at Pittodrie tonight.
The midfielder, 26, was signed from MTK Budapest on June 8 but Brexit red tape over the processing of his visa delayed his arrival.
Another acquisition from MTK Budapest, Bojan Miovksi, is currently going through the visa process.
Aberdeen are hopeful he will be given the green light to join the squad next week.
The Dons other six signings to date all made their competitive debuts in the 2-0 Premier Sports Cup defeat of Peterhead on Sunday.
New captain Anthony Stewart and Celtic loan signing Liam Scales started at centre-back for the Reds.
Both defenders read the game very well and have strong positional sense to cut out attacking danger at source.
When they do have to make tackles and headers both were dominant. Aberdeen secured only six clean sheets in 47 games last season.
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Straight down to work for Ylber Ramadani at Cormack Park. pic.twitter.com/aQs6F5RGTg
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) July 11, 2022
I expect that clean sheet problem to be fixed with Stewart and Scales.
Keeper Kelle Roos started in goal ahead of Joe Lewis and produced a superb save.
Right-back Jayden Richardson, a £300,000 replacement for Calvin Ramsay from Nottingham Forest, made rampaging runs down the flank.
He is lightning fast, powerful and can deliver a dangerous final ball into the box.
It is early days and Aberdeen were playing League One Peterhead, albeit a very well organised and battling Blue Toon.
However the Dons already look significantly stronger as a result of the on-going summer rebuild.
The real test, however, will be when the Premiership kicks off against champions Celtic on Sunday July 31.
Billy Stuart on road to title tilt
Aberdeen based super bantamweight Billy Stuart is set to step up his bid for a title shot with a fight in Newcastle on July 23.
It will be Northern Sporting Club star Stuart’s first fight this year.
Stuart was set to box at the Aberdeen Beach Ballroom last month but the entire bill was cancelled.
It has meant an extended training camp for one of Scotland’s hottest rising stars.
Boasting a pro-record of 11 wins and one defeat Stuart aka ‘The Butcher’ can lay down a marker of his title potential in Newcastle.
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