Boss Stephen Glass insists Aberdeen will protect ‘special talent’ Calvin Ramsay as the race to land the teen hots up.
As transfer speculation surrounding the 18-year-old intensifies Glass says Aberdeen will ‘handle him right’.
German Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt are the latest club to enter the chase to secure the teen.
A host of English Premier League sides are also weighing up a potential January transfer move for the right-back.
Aberdeen are braced for a bid for the Scotland U21 international during the recently-opened transfer window.
Top-flight Watford are the first club to formally contact Aberdeen with regard to a potential January swoop.
However, Manchester United, Liverpool, Everton, West Ham, Southampton and Norwich all have Ramsay on their radar.
Newcastle United and Leicester City are also circling around one of the hottest young talents in Scottish football.
Ramsay is contracted to Pittodrie until summer 2024.
Dons don’t have to sell in January
Chairman Dave Cormack recently said Aberdeen do not have to sell any of their stars, including Ramsay, during the January window.
That is despite the Dons posting operating losses of £5.19m during the 2020/21 financial year.
Glass insists the situation with Ramsay will ‘take care of itself’.
However, while the defender is at Pittodrie, the Dons boss will protect the Youth Academy graduate.
And he will also continue to push the talented teen to be the best he can.
Glass said: “What’s going to happen with Calvin will take care of itself.
“He’s going to be here or he’s not, he’s going to be as good as he should be or he’s not.
“Our job is to push him and coach him to be the best he can be while we’ve got him.
“That’s the same for all the players.
“Obviously Calvin is a special talent, so it’s important we handle him right.”
A potential bidding war for Ramsay
Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers sent a top scout to assess Ramsay in the 2-1 defeat of Dundee at Pittodrie on Boxing Day.
Chairman Cormack recently said Ramsay was posting stats that put him ‘in the elite upper bracket for a young full-back in Europe’.
With Eintracht Frankfurt, currently sixth in the Bundesliga, targeting Ramsay, the battle to land the teen has spread across the continent.
There could potentially be a bidding war for the right-back this month.
Everton boss Rafa Benitez also sent his top scout to watch Ramsay in September and received a glowing report.
Manchester United, too, have monitored Ramsay this season, with the Old Trafford club compiling a transfer dossier with the view to a potential January approach.
Ramsay made his first start in two months due to a thigh muscle injury when facing Dundee on Boxing Day.
In a superb breakout season, he has pitched in with eight assists.
Dons target Jamie McGrath move
Aberdeen boss Glass aims to emerge from the transfer window stronger and has targeted a move for St Mirren midfielder Jamie McGrath.
McGrath is out of contract at the end of the season and Glass is a long-term admirer of the Republic of Ireland international.
Glass enquired about the 25-year-old in the last window, but was unable to agree a deal with the Buddies.
Aberdeen are stepping up efforts to land McGrath, who has been free to talk to any interested clubs since the transfer window opened on Saturday.
St Mirren have offered McGrath a bumper contract, but he has yet to commit.
Aberdeen would need to agree a fee to land the midfielder this month.
It would also depend on whether St Mirren are willing to sell in the January window or risk losing him for nothing in the summer on a free.
If Aberdeen cannot agree a fee, it is understood Glass would be prepared to move to secure McGrath on a pre-contract and wait until summer to land the midfielder.
🏆 Congratulations Jamie McGrath! @cinchuk SPFL Goal of the Month award winner for November!
🥇 Jamie McGrath – @saintmirrenfc v Livingston
🥈 Tony Watt – @MotherwellFC v Dundee United
🥉 Joe Aribo – Livingston v @RangersFC pic.twitter.com/t4wlajn5AC— SPFL (@spfl) December 13, 2021
McGrath netted 17 times in all competitions for St Mirren last season and has scored three goals this campaign.
Capped six times McGrath started Republic of Ireland’s World Cup qualifier against Portugal (0-0) in November.
Blackburn set to move for Hedges
In what will be a key window, the Dons are also braced for Blackburn Rovers to launch a fresh move for Welsh international attacker Ryan Hedges this month.
A bid of under £400,000 from Blackburn was rejected by Aberdeen in the summer.
However, the Championship club, who are keen on securing Hedges on a pre-contract, are set to come in with a renewed approach.
Hedges is out of contract in the summer and now free to talk to any interested clubs.
Glass recently admitted Aberdeen look to have lost the bid to secure Hedges, 26, on a new contract.
Ferguson could also be a target
Aberdeen could also face interest in Scotland international Lewis Ferguson during the transfer window.
A bid of under £2m from Premier League Watford was rejected in May.
Following the rebuttal of that offer, Ferguson subsequently slapped in a transfer request – which was immediately rejected by Aberdeen.
Since Watford’s rejected bid, Ferguson has broken into Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad.
The 22-year-old earned two caps in the World Cup qualifying campaign.
Ferguson, contracted until summer 2024, is in contention for squad selection for the World Cup play-offs in March.
He finished 2021 in good form, netting the winner in the 2-1 defeat of Dundee on Boxing Day to take his season’s tally to eight.
Ultimately transfer incomings at Pittodrie will be dictated by possible outgoings.
Glass said: “We don’t know if anybody is going out, so we don’t know if anybody can come in.
“It’s important that you’re ready to jump if you’re able.”