Liverpool target Calvin Ramsay remains top of the world with assists for teen defenders and any potential transfer fee must reflect that status.
Liverpool are set to launch a summer transfer swoop for Ramsay with Leeds United also targeting the 18-year-old.
A summer bidding war could erupt for the teen as a host of clubs interested in Ramsay during the January window.
That number is only likely to rise after Ramsay was recently named, deservedly, the SFWA Young Player of the Year.
In the aftermath of the 1-0 defeat of Dundee manager Jim Goodwin said Ramsay was one of the best young-full backs in the world up until January.
The stats back up his statement.
At the start of the year, Ramsay was ahead of every teenage defender, across every top division, in the world for assists.
Four months on Ramsay is STILL leading the world.
No-other teen defender has posted more assists than Ramsay this season, according to football stats website Transfrmarkt.
With nine assists in 33 games this campaign Ramsay is also streets ahead of every teenage right-back in the world.
His closest rival is Olympique Lyon right-back Malo Gusto, 18, on five assists in 31 games.
Italian giants Juventus are tracking Gusto but Lyon have slapped a minimum price tag of €25m on the teen.
That is how much young attacking full-backs can be valued at.
Also trailing Ramsay in the world right-back assist chart is Yan Couto of Braga in Portugal.
Brazilian Couto, 19, is on loan at Braga from Manchester City and has delivered four assists in 41 games.
When just 16 years old, Couto snubbed interest from Barcelona and Bayern Munich to sign for Manchester City from Coritiba in a £5.4m deal.
🚀 Calvin Ramsay 👏🏽
⚽ A first ever Aberdeen goal for our @AberdeenFCYouth Academy graduate.#StandFree | @calvinramsay03 pic.twitter.com/NwkhzPBjpw
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) April 3, 2022
What has made Ramsay’s assist return all the more remarkable is that he has achieved it in a struggling team.
It took a 1-0 defeat of Dundee at the weekend to all but kill off the relegation play-off danger for Aberdeen.
In contrast Couto is playing for a Braga side sitting fourth in the Primeira Liga and guaranteed European qualification.
Likewise Gusto is in a Lyon outfit seventh in Ligue 1, just five points adrift of European qualification.
If a bidding war does erupt for Ramsay, Aberdeen can use his top of the world status to maximise any transfer fee.
Aberdeen rejected a bid of £4.8m from Italian Serie A Bologna in January.
Ramsay’s form dipped briefly in the midst of a maelstrom of window transfer speculation.
However he is back in form again and surely his value has increased since January.
The SFWA Young Player of the Year award will have increased his profile, and value.
He has also broken into the Scotland U21 squad this year and top of the world.
Liverpool are reportedly confident they can secure a deal to sign Ramsay in the summer.
If a deal is to be done perhaps the best option could be to loan back Ramsay to Aberdeen for a season.
He could continue his development at Pittodrie with regular first team action.
Liverpool would be a dream move for the teen and also a tremendously powerful advert for the Aberdeen Youth Academy.
To have a young star snapped up by one of the biggest clubs in world football after only one full season is a glowing endorsement.
From interviewing Ramsay it is clear he has the ideal combination to be a success.
He has ambition, self belief and also humility.
The teen believes he can ultimately follow in the footsteps of Scottish full-backs Andy Robertson (Liverpool) and Kieran Tierney (Arsenal) in making an impact in the English top flight.
However he also knows it won’t be handed to him on a plate.
Ramsay is well aware raw talent is not enough and that he will have to graft and make sacrifices to realise his dream.
That is why I believe Ramsay can be a success in the world’s richest league.
Now give supporters some hope
There was a tangible, collective sigh of relief within Pittodrie at full-time following the 1-0 defeat of Dundee on Saturday.
The danger of being dragged into a relegation play-off was effectively killed off.
Granted it is still mathematically possible for the Reds to drop into the play-off but it will not happen.
Aberdeen hold an eight-point advantage over St Johnstone with only three games left.
When you also factor in the Reds far superior goal advantage, they are safe.
Now the focus in the remaining games of the campaign should be instilling a sense of optimism within a disillusioned fanbase.
Optimism has been in short supply this season as the Reds crashed to a bottom six finish for the first time since 2013.
With not one, but two winless streaks stretching 10 games, it has been bleak times this season.
Now Aberdeen can deliver wins to go into the summer with some positivity.
The best Aberdeen can aim for is seventh place.
Ultimately finishing ‘best of the rest’ in the bottom six equals abject failure for a team of Aberdeen’s budget and stature.
Manager Jim Goodwin is determined to oversee a summer transfer window rebuild that will get the Dons back on track.
The pressure is on Goodwin, his recruitment team and the Dons board to deliver.
A club’s season is made or broken by business within transfer windows.
There can be no repeat of the 2021-22 bottom six fiasco.
Historic night for women’s boxing
A historic night for women’s boxing delivered with a sensational world title clash between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano.
The undisputed world lightweight title bout at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York was billed as the ‘biggest fight ever in women’s box.
A night to stir the soul! Humbled by all the support at @TheGarden. A special fight on a special night. 💚 pic.twitter.com/gigYeP7Qbr
— Katie Taylor (@KatieTaylor) May 1, 2022
Both boxers certainly delivered on that expectation with a headline bout full of class and courage.
Ultimately Taylor triumphed in a split decision but Serrano pushed her so close.
It was another landmark moment in the rise of women’s boxing.