Sell-on clauses and achievable add-ons must be at the heart of Calvin Ramsay’s expected move to Euro giants Liverpool.
The Premier League club are set to launch a bid to sign the 18-year-old Aberdeen right-back this week.
With clubs across Europe targeting the teen Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has sanctioned a move for Ramsay.
Liverpool are set to come in with an initial bid of around £4m for the Scottish Football Writers’ Young Player of the Year.
That may seem like a lowball offer in light of another Scottish right-back’s move to Merseyside earlier this year.
Everton signed Nathan Patterson from Rangers for £12m, potentially rising to £16m with add-ons, in the January transfer window.
However Liverpool’s move for Ramsay is primarily about investing in potential and the future.
Patterson had already broken into the Scotland squad, had featured at Euro 2020 and played regularly in Europe for Rangers.
A bid of £4m may also seem low considering Ramsay finished the season with the most assists of any teenage right-back in world football.
In all the top leagues and cup competitions across the globe no teenage stopper set up more goals than Ramsay.
Olympique Lyon’s 19-year-old right-back Malo Gusto finished the season with five assists.
Gusto is a Juventus signing target and French top flight Olympique Lyon have slapped a €25m (£21.5m) price tag on him.
The expected £4m bid for Ramsay is an opening offer – but even if that is the one that lands it will still represent a massive cash injection for the Dons.
Securing that club record fee will be a significant boost to boss Jim Goodwin’s summer transfer window rebuild.
Liverpool aim to mould Ramsay into an understudy for English international right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.
If the Pittodrie Youth Academy graduate excels at Anfield it could bring many more millions to Pittodrie beyond any initial fee.
There will be add-ons and a sell-on clause inserted into any deal of up to 20 per cent.
That could see more millions coming into Pittodrie in the future.
It all adds up.
There can be no better club than Liverpool for Ramsay to reach his stellar potential.
He will be playing under Klopp who has a track record of putting faith in youth.
Ramsay will also be playing alongside some of the best full-backs in the world.
The 18-year-old recently admitted he models his game on Alexander-Arnold.
At 23-years-old Alexander-Arnold has already played in three Champions League finals, winning one.
Ramsay will also be working alongside fellow Scot, left-back Andy Robertson.
National captain Robertson is clear proof of what a talented, motivated Scottish full-back can achieve at Liverpool.
The Anfield club are expected to sell right-back Neco Williams this summer and have placed a £15m price tag on the Welsh international.
The 21-year-old spent last season on loan at Championship winners Fulham and is expected to move there permanently.
Williams has made just six stars in the Premier League, 21 Liverpool starts in total but is still valued at £15m.
Aberdeen star Ramsay is being taken in as a right-back so Klopp must believe he has more potential than £15m rated Williams.
When Liverpool make their move this week it will be too good an opportunity for Aberdeen and Ramsay to turn down.
Liverpool is the ideal location for Ramsay to maximise his potential and for Aberdeen to get the maximum future financial return.
World Cup pain can’t derail positivity
The pain of missing out on the World Cup will still be excruciatingly raw for Scotland players and supporters at Hampden tonight.
A week after the heartache of losing 1-0 to Ukraine in the World Cup play-off semi-final the Scots are back in action.
They host Armenia in Glasgow tonight in the UEFA Nations League opener.
Emotions will be high not just at the disappointment of missing out on a place at Qatar.
But also the manner of the defeat against Ukraine.
Scotland were outplayed throughout in a desperately disappointing night.
The bid to end the World Cup drought dating back to 1998 ended in a whimper.
However that underwhelming 90 minutes should not cloud the positive work done by national boss Steve Clarke.
He has transformed a side that had rock bottom confidence and seemed to be going nowhere fast.
Clarke secured a slot at Euro 2020 and came within two wins of the World Cup.
He has credit in the bank.
The superb 2-0 defeat of Denmark in November to set-up the World Cup play-offs convinced me Scotland are on the up.
Losing to Ukraine was a bump, granted a big bump, in the road.
However it must not derail the progress made under Clarke.
The national boss said he is convinced this Scotland squad will qualify for another major tournament in the near future.
I agree with him.
Aberdeen youth shine in Europe
Congratulations to Aberdeen’s rising young talent who impressed in European tournaments this week.
Aberdeen 2008’s won the prestigious Flint Micaso Cup in Norway.
They beat Red Bull Leipzig of Germany in the final and Liverpool in the semis of the prestigious 64 team tournament.
The Dons’ 2010’s finished fifth in the Pfingst Cup in Germany, one of the largest youth tournaments in Europe.
In 10 matches the 2010’s won seven and drew two.
Their only loss was to eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt.
Aberdeen’s 2011’s finished third in the Jorrit Hendrix Tournament in the Netherlands.
Their success bodes well for the long term future of the Dons.
Conversation