Aberdeen midfielder Lewis Ferguson looks set to seal a move to Italian Serie A side Bologna.
The Dons have reportedly agreed to sell their star midfielder for £3 million, with the 22-year-old understood to be heading to northern Italy for a medical today.
Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin accepted the possibility Ferguson could be on his way out of Pittodrie in his pre-match press conference yesterday, ahead of the League Cup opener at Peterhead on Sunday.
The Scotland international will not feature at Balmoor, having also missed the 7-1 pre-season win at Brechin on Wednesday.
Bologna’s swoop has come somewhat out of blue. Previous interest from Italy had come from Cagliari, while Bologna’s Serie A rivals Lecce, as well as Turkish club Galatasaray, were the clubs most recently linked to the player.
Reds chiefs had already rejected a £2 million bid for the midfielder from English club Millwall in the window.
On Friday, Goodwin said: “With Lewis, we are well aware of the speculation.
“I don’t want to pull the wool over anybody’s eyes or anything.”
The manager went on to insist the player’s absence at Brechin was fitness-related following internatonal duty over the summer.
Should he seal a move to Bologna, Ferguson will follow in the footsteps of fellow Scotland cap Aaron Hickey – who is now Premier League-bound following his stint with the Italian outfit after moving there from Hearts.
The loss of Ferguson will be a big blow to Aberdeen – with the signing from Hamilton Accies, who only cost the Reds a development fee, a mainstay of the side since joining in 2018.
He has made 169 appearances for the club over his four seasons, scoring 37 times, and – in part due to his duties as penalty-taker – was the Dons’ top-scorer during the 2021/22 campaign and the 2020/21 term.
On the books already are last season’s breakout midfield sensation Connor Barron, as well as new vice-captain Ross McCrorie.