Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass admits he is planning for Calvin Ramsay to be in his starting line-up against Ross County on Tuesday.
A £4.8m bid for Ramsay by Italian Serie A Bologna was rejected by the Dons.
However, Leeds United are set to step up their interest with a late £5m bid for the 18-year-old.
It is understood Leeds’ bid would include sending Ramsay back to Aberdeen for the second half of the season.
Manchester United and Leicester City are also in the hunt for the teen who is contracted until summer 2024.
It is understood the Old Trafford club and FA Cup holders Leicester are giving serious consideration to late bids for the right-back.
The Scottish transfer window closes at midnight on Monday, 11pm in England.
And Glass expects Ramsay to still be at Pittodrie when it slams shut.
Glass said: “We will get to Monday night and I think Calvin will still be with us.
“And Calvin will be ready to tackle the second part of the season.
“Hopefully he will play on Tuesday night (at Ross County) and hopefully for the rest of the season.
Bologna offer not acceptable
Whether Ramsay will be in the squad in Dingwall as an Aberdeen player or a loan from a signing club remains to be seen.
It is understood key to to any potential deal before the January window shuts is a buying club agreeing to send Ramsay back to the Dons on loan until the summer.
Bologna wanted Ramsay in Italy now. They planned to initially take Ramsay on loan for £830,000 until the end of the season.
The Italians’ offer included an option to make the deal permanent this summer by paying up the remainder of the £4.8m bid.
Bologna had a previous bid of £3.3m for Ramsay rejected and the Italians have instead signed 19-year-old right-back Denso Kasius of Dutch second tier side Volendam.
Last gasp bids could ramp up price
The clock is ticking down on the transfer window.
Aberdeen have stressed throughout January that they do not want any last gasp bids for players on transfer deadline day.
The Dons are now waiting to see if Leeds, Manchester United, Leicester or any other clubs table a bid before the deadline.
As well as Leeds four further clubs watched Ramsay in action in the 1-1 draw with Rangers this month – Manchester United, Leicester, Tottenham and Southampton.
German Bundesliga clubs Eintracht Frankfurt and Hoffenheim have also been monitoring the teenage right-back.
Glass insists if clubs have not heeded the Dons warning against transfer deadline day approaches it could cost them.
He said: “If people are coming in late and if there are bids coming in that are not hitting the numbers – and this is all hypothetical.
“Then with the way the chairman and the board are, with their resolve getting strengthened, it will cost them (bidding clubs) more money.
“We’ll see what happens.”
Ramsay was set to face Saints
Pittodrie Youth Academy graduate Ramsay has been at the centre of transfer speculation throughout the January transfer window.
Glass admits the transfer talk has affected the teen recently but had no hesitation in playing him against St Johnstone – if the game had gone ahead.
He said: “Any time you are a footballer the one time that no-one can affect you is when you step onto the pitch.
“Top professionals go onto the pitch and they perform.
“That is what our players are.”
❌ MATCH POSTPONED!
Today’s match against St Johnstone has been postponed due to Storm Malik and safety concerns around the stadium. pic.twitter.com/74nHmNojiO
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) January 29, 2022
Support to be a ‘top Aberdeen player’
The game against St Johnstone was postponed due to Storm Malik and safety concerns around Pittodrie.
Glass is working on the assumption that Ramsay will be available for selection to face Ross County on Tuesday.
He said: “I’m not surprised it has affected him a little bit as he is only 18 and this is the first time he has been through this.
“It was important early on in this whole process that I talk to him and let him know what it’s going to be like.
“Whether things happen or not that the speculation will be there.
“He has handled it pretty well, although it has obviously affected him.
“It’s important that everyone at the club is there to support and help him so that he can continue to be a top Aberdeen player.”
Hedges transfers to Blackburn
Aberdeen have already lost one key player this window with winger Ryan Hedges sealing a £200,000 transfer to Blackburn Rovers.
Championship Blackburn had initially planned to secure Hedges on a pre-contract.
However confirmation winger Dilan Markanday is ruled out for the rest of the season by injury prompted Blackburn to push forward plans to sign Hedges.
Hedges’ contract with Aberdeen was set to expire at the end of the season.
Blackburn bid £400,000 last summer for the Welsh international but that was rejected by Aberdeen.
The Dons had hoped to convince Hedges to pen a new deal and offered a bumper contract but he did not sign.
Rather than lose Hedges for nothing in the summer the Dons have opted to cash in now.
The deal for Hedges also includes an add-on fee if Blackburn win promotion to the English Premier League.
Dons track Blackburn’s Davenport
Aberdeen are reportedly interested in a loan for Blackburn Rovers midfielder Jacob Davenport.
Davenport has played 10 times for the Championship outfit this season but has not featured since November.
Midfielder Davenport came through the youth ranks at Manchester City.