Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass has vowed to help ‘brilliant’ Calvin Ramsay became an even better player.
The Dons rejected a £4.8 million bid from Italian Serie A Bologna for the teenager during the January transfer window.
Despite interest from top clubs across Europe, the window shut at midnight last night with Ramsay still at Pittodrie.
Leeds United were considering a late transfer deadline day bid for the right-back.
Manchester United and Leicester City were also understood to be giving consideration to a final day bid for the teen.
Premier League Liverpool, Newcastle United, West Ham, Southampton and Watford were all tracking Ramsay.
Aberdeen were braced for a potential transfer deadline day bidding war, but in the end there was only one piece of business at Pittodrie on Monday – with Celtic’s Adam Montgomery joining on loan until the end of the season.
However, Ramsay, contracted until summer 2024, remains a Don and will tonight face Ross County in Dingwall.
Glass has no doubt the teen will eventually seal a multi-million move to the English top flight.
When that transfer eventually comes, Glass reckons the right-back will be an even better player.
With the window closed, speculation surrounding Ramsay will cool down, for now, and Glass has urged the teen to rediscover his top form.
He said: “Keeping Calvin at the club is important and it is good for the team.
“Having Calvin really helps the team and we saw that in the early part of the season.
“All this speculation goes away for a while and he can focus on nothing happening imminently.
“Then he can focus on just being a player, which I think will be important for him. So that he can get back to his best again quickly.”
A big move will still come for Ramsay
Leeds were understood to be lining up a late £5m bid for Ramsay on transfer deadline day. However, this did not come.
The Dons had already rejected a big-money bid from Bologna.
Bologna 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.
That was knocked back by Aberdeen.
Bologna had a previous bid of £3.3m for Ramsay rejected and the Italians moved their attention to sign 19-year-old right-back Denso Kasius of Dutch second-tier side Volendam.
It was understood that key to any potential deal in the January window was a buying club agreeing to send Ramsay back to the Dons on loan until the summer.
Glass said: “My focus is on making Calvin as good a professional as he can be with the help of everyone else.
“Nothing changes and I do think there will be interest in him, because he is brilliant.
“It will be a matter of time until bigger clubs than ourselves want Calvin to come and play for them.
“I think it will happen at some point.
“However, it’s not like I’m hoping and actively pushing that.
“Part of the job being here is making young players better.
“We have shown already we can do that.”
Learning process in January window for Glass
Glass is in the first full season of his time managing in Scotland.
Having coached and managed in the United States until moving to Pittodrie, the January transfer window was a new experience.
It meant late nights and trying to balance the window with preparing for games with Ross County looming the day after deadline day.
He said: “It is my first experience of it, so I’m learning as I go.
“I’m also learning of how hectic it will be until midnight on deadline day.
“I was here until 10 on Sunday night with Gunner (Steven Gunn, director of football).”
Jonny Hayes fit to face Ross County
Jonny Hayes is set to be fit for tonight’s game at Ross County, while left-back Jack MacKenzie is expected to return from injury in the next week. New addition Montgomery will also be available.
Glass and many of the squad watched live action of the Staggies 3-3 draw with Premiership leaders Rangers on Saturday.
They were able to watch the game because the Reds’ scheduled clash with St Johnstone was postponed due to Storm Malik and safety concerns.
Glass said: “We watched Ross County and some of the lads worked in the gym.
“We knew what the weather was like, so it wasn’t worth going out and training (on Saturday)
“We gave them the option and some of them went in the gym, ready to prepare again on Sunday.
“We got a good look at Ross County, but we had been doing that anyway.
“Ross County look dangerous, particularly on the counter attack.
“We are not a team that’s giving up a lot of shots and chances really, even when we were on a poor run.
“If we can continue that, it gives us the best chance to win the game, which is important.”
Poor away form must improve
Aberdeen will look to improve a poor away record this season.
A 1-0 loss at St Mirren last week was the latest setback, with the Reds having won only two of 11 Premiership away games this season.
Glass said: “Our away form has been poor to say the least.
“It’s important we address that and we have two opportunities to do that.”