Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin admits goal hero Bojan Miovski has “far exceeded” his expectations.
Miovski was the Dons marquee summer signing when secured for £535,000 from Hungarian club MTK Budapest.
The in-form 23-year-old has netted 12 goals in all competitions, a return Goodwin hails as “incredible”.
North Macedonian international Miovski is the joint-leading scorer in the Premiership on 11 goals with Rangers’ Antonio Colak.
Miovski’s red-hot form has alerted French top-flight club Stade de Reims, who are set to launch a £4 million bid in January.
That would constitute an almost eight-fold return on Miovski just seven months after signing on at Pittodrie.
The striker is understood to also be on the radar of number of British and foreign clubs.
However, Goodwin is determined to retain Miovski to spearhead the bid for success at Pittodrie this season.
Miovski, contracted until summer 2026, has also indicated he has no plans to exit Aberdeen during next month’s transfer window.
Goodwin said: “Miovski is the one who sticks out for everybody as he is top scorer in the league at the moment.
“His return for goals-to-games ratio is incredible and he has far exceeded our expectations.
“We knew we were getting a good player, but you are always wary of foreign players coming in.
“That’s because they are coming from a different culture and a different style of football in Hungary where both Bojan and (Ylber) Ramadani played last year.
“They have both took to the league like ducks to water.”
9⃣ 🇲🇰
⚽ An 11th league goal of the season so far for Bojan.#StandFree | @bojanmiovskii pic.twitter.com/rPtlKzOA2M
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) November 13, 2022
The positive impact of Ramadani
Albanian international midfielder Ramadani was also signed from MTK Budapest.
The club’s relegation from the Hungarian top-flight prompted a sale of their overseas talent.
Aberdeen swooped to secure Ramadani for £100,000 0n a three-year deal.
Ramadani has started every game since arriving at Pittodrie and is an integral part of Goodwin’s team.
Another overseas hit has been Luis “Duk” Lopes, who arrived from Portuguese giants Benfica.
Striker Duk, 22, has scored eight goals this season, pitching in with some superb strikes.
Cape Verde international Duk has made such an impact, Goodwin switched his formation to accommodate a strike partnership with Miovski.
Goodwin changed from 4-2-3-1 to a 3-1-4-2 to play Miovski and Duk as a strike duo.
Summer signings gelling is ‘no fluke’
Miovski, Ramadani and Duk arrived as part of a comprehensive squad rebuild during the summer transfer window.
Goodwin signed 11 player with the Dons outlaying transfer fees in excess of £1.5 million.
Aberdeen sit third in the Premiership table and face Rangers in the League Cup semi-final at Hampden on Sunday, January 15.
Goodwin insists it is no “fluke” the summer signings have gelled so quickly.
He said: “We have been very fortunate in terms of how quickly the players have settled in.
“That is not by chance or fluke – a lot of hard work goes in behind the scenes.
“I don’t take all of the credit for that because there is a huge team behind me who work extremely hard to firstly recruit the players.
“Darren Mowbray (Head of Recruitment) and his team of scouts do that tirelessly by travelling all over Europe and the UK to unearth that next one.
“I also have a great group of staff behind me as well.
“There is no divide between the players and the staff, we are very much together.
“That is really important because none of us are going to be a success on our own – Miovski doesn’t score without the assists from his teammates.”
Goodwin’s praise for keeper Roos
Another key summer signing has been Dutch goalkeeper Kelle Roos.
The 30-year-old joined the Dons following the expiration of his contact with Derby County.
Signed on a two-year contract Roos has played every minute of every competitive game for the Reds this season.
He ousted Joe Lewis, first choice for six seasons, as the Reds’ number one.
Aberdeen boss Goodwin recently said he believed Roos, 30, could push into the Netherlands international squad.
The Dutch exited the World Cup at the quarter-final stage, losing on penalties to Argentina.
Goodwin said: “Kelle Roos has been another one who has settled in really well after coming from a big club in England in Derby.
“He doesn’t get the performances he puts in without having the defenders in front of him to help him out.
“It is very much a collective effort.
“It is not just about the first team or me or my backroom staff.
“We have an unbelievable army of people behind the scenes.”