If Everton move for Aberdeen’s teen star Calvin Ramsay in January they must start with a bid of £8m.
Unrealistic? No.
That appears to be the going rate the Toffees are willing to pay for a Scottish teenage right-back having had an bid of around £8m rejected for Nathan Patterson by Rangers in the recent window.
Why should Ramsay be worth any less just because he plays for Aberdeen?
Pittodrie is not a bargain basement for English clubs to snap up players on the cheap.
Everton boss Rafa Benitez is reportedly lining up a move for Ramsay in January.
Premier League sides Leicester City, West Ham and Southampton are also understood to be monitoring the Pittodrie teen.
Benitez sent his top scout to watch the 18-year-old in the 2-0 defeat to Motherwell at the weekend.
Although the Dons lost, Ramsay impressed at Fir Park and it is understood the Dons’ youngster is now high on Benitez’s winter transfer window wish list.
If Everton were prepared to splash £8m for Patterson last month then surely it follows that they should be prepared to dig just as deep to land Ramsay.
There is no logical reason why they shouldn’t have a similar worth.
Playing for Rangers shouldn’t elevate Patterson’s value into the stratosphere beyond that of Ramsay.
Patterson may have recently broken into the Scotland set up but that is the only difference between the Ibrox teen and Aberdeen’s hot star.
They are both teenagers, both contracted until summer 2024, both potent threats in attack and have made an almost identical number of appearances at club level.
If anything Ramsay will get more game time this season as he will be a first team starter for Aberdeen.
Patterson, also a superb and exciting talent, will likely get limited game time at Rangers because right-back James Tavernier, Rangers’ captain, is ahead in the pecking order.
Following Rangers’ rejection of the bid for Patterson there was almost an inevitability Everton would look towards Ramsay.
Scotland has already proven a rich source for full-backs with Andy Robertson (Liverpool) and Kieran Tierney (Arsenal) thriving in the Premier League.
It is to Scotland internationals Robertson and Tierney that Ramsay must look if he has, as any ambitious player would, aspirations to play in the world’s richest league.
Robertson and Tierney both racked up more than 100 starts before moving to the English top flight.
Tierney started166 games for Celtic, with a further four as a substitute, before at 22-years-old landing a £25m switch to the Gunners.
Likewise Robertson made 187 starts, with another 16 off the bench, for Hull City, Dundee United and Queens Park before a £8m switch to Anfield as a 23-year-old.
Both were in their early twenties and had served their apprenticeship with more than 150 starts – and were ready for the Premier League.
Ramsay is an exciting talent with incredible potential and a bright future – but he has only recently taken the giant leap of breaking into the Dons first team.
Rather than another potentially mammoth step Ramsay’s career path should arguably follow the same trajectory as Tierney and Robertson.
Make 100 plus starts for Aberdeen and gain vital experience before a switch to the English top flight.
The Premier League is a ruthless environment where it is sink or swim.
Promising teens can so often be snapped up by Premier League sides only to be sent out on loan or dropped into their youth side. All that initial momentum can be derailed.
If Ramsay continues his rapid ascent at Pittodrie and racks up the games he could be worth even more in a few seasons – and he will also be ready for that big jump.
Darts should be an Olympic sport
Congratulations to Huntly’s John Henderson on the phenomenal achievement of winning the World Cup of Darts with Peter Wright.
Masada ace Henderson and former world champion Wright saw off Austria 3-1 in an enthralling final at the weekend.
Henderson was superb during the tournament and displayed nerves of steel to sink the winning doubles in deciding-leg pairs victories over four-time winners Netherlands and reigning champions Wales.
𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗧𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗖𝗨𝗣 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 🏆🏴
Peter Wright and John Henderson win the 2021 Cazoo World Cup of Darts! 🏆
Both men are in tears up on that stage as they are crowned champions and what a moment this is for the Scottish duo 👏 pic.twitter.com/6BxYcJo0Zm
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) September 12, 2021
It was a career highlight for ‘The Highlander’ and hopefully a catalyst for the immensely talented, and entertaining, Henderson to push for singles title glory on the PDC tour.
Scotland’s World Cup triumph further underlined how demanding a sport darts is.
I defy anyone who is dismissive of darts as a sport to stand in front of thousands of fans and withstand the pressure to land a dart into a double or treble throw after throw.
A first PDC title for this man after a decade of trying.🏆
Could Hendo follow in the footsteps of 2020 World Cup winner Jonny Clayton? pic.twitter.com/3bDNp3Pori
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) September 12, 2021
The level pro players like Henderson operate at is phenomenal.
The strength of mind, the concentration, the nerves, sheer skill and practice required marks them all out as elite sportsmen.
And they should get a crack at the Olympics. Archery is an Olympic sport – so why not darts?
They are effectively the same – a test of nerve and steel to fire into a target.
The only difference is there isn’t the same snobbery towards archery that darts receives because it is primarily a working class sport.
Aberdeen need to find ruthless streak
Aberdeen must find a ruthless streak in front of goal to end a winless run that has now extended to six matches.
The Dons have had 75% possession in each of the last two Premiership games against Motherwell and Ross County.
In those games they have also had 43 shots at goal. The return?
One goal and one point from six.
Chances are being created so the potential fix is there.
Against Motherwell new signing Marley Watkins engineered himself into strong scoring chances.
On the basis of his loan spell at Pittodrie last season he is capable of not just converting scoring chances but also creating for others.
Aberdeen’s attack must rediscover their cutting edge especially ahead of a tough October where they face Rangers, Celtic, Hearts and Hibs.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Express website. For more information, read about our new combined website.
