Landing Bojan Miovski could be Aberdeen’s biggest striker signing coup since European Cup winner Hans Gillhaus in 1989.
A bold statement, yes, but Miovski already looks to be the bargain of the 2022-23 Scottish Premiership season at just £535,000.
Miovski, like Gillhaus, has made an immediate scoring impact at Aberdeen and is an established international.
What makes Miovski a potential signing coup of the same magnitude of Gillhaus is the huge profit Aberdeen will surely bag when he ultimately leaves the Dons.
Aberdeen did not make any profit on Dutch international Gillhaus when he left Pittodrie.
Gillhaus was snapped up by Alex Smith and Jocky Scott for £650,000 from PSV Eindhoven little more than a year after lifting the European Cup.
It was a statement signing by Aberdeen.
I would argue Miovski is also a statement signing.
Aberdeen swooped to secure the 23-year-old just months after he set up the winner to beat Euro 2020 champions Italy 1-0 in the World Cup play-off semi-finals.
North Macedonia, and Miovski, would lose the play-off final 2-0 to Portugal this March.
But Miovski was one win away from starring at the World Cup in Qatar next month.
After lighting up Pittodrie, legend Gillhaus moved to Vitesse Arnhem for around £300,000.
Aberdeen got three seasons of a top class striker who would go on to play at the 1990 World Cup whilst at Pittodrie … but no profit.
The Dons will surely make multi-millions from Miovski if he continues his scoring form.
It is understood Miovski is already on the radar of a number of clubs.
The striker has already outlined his intentions by saying he aims to finish the season as the Premiership’s top scorer.
Miovski is level with Celtic’s Japanese international Kyogo Furuhashi, a £4.6 million signing on seven Premiership goals.
Rangers’ £1.8m signing Antonio Colak tops the scoring table on eight.
🇲🇰 9⃣
⚽ A striker's instinct from Bojan for his second goal yesterday. #StandFree | @bojanmiovskii pic.twitter.com/u5U839w0lA
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) August 7, 2022
Only five players have finished the season as the league’s top scorer whilst at Aberdeen.
They are Adam Rooney (2014-15), Charlie Nicholas (1988-89), Frank McDougall (84-85), Joe Harper (71-72) and Benny Yorston (29-30).
Miovski is a player on a mission and looks more than capable of being in the mix to finish scorer at the end of the campaign barring injury.
With eight goals in 10 games if Miovski continues to score at this rate he will smash the 20 goal mark.
That form brings a lot of attention from other clubs. Prolific goalscoring strikers are not easy to find nor do they come cheap.
What has been clear throughout his career is that if Miovski is played as a striker he will score regularly.
At the beginning of last season Miovski was played as a No.9 by then MTK Budapest manager Giovanni Costantino.
He responded by scoring in all five of the games he started in the opening stages of the Hungarian top flight campaign.
However Constantino left the club and his replacement played Miovski as a winger… and the goal spree dried up.
Aberdeen were extremely shrewd in securing Miovski on a long-term contract until summer of 2026.
The Reds are firmly in the driving seat should there be any solid interest from clubs.
If the goals continue to come it would arguably take a new club record fee to land him – but let’s not be too hasty, he is not long in the Pittodrie door.
That club record stands at £4.5 million received from Liverpool this summer for Calvin Ramsay, which could rise to £8m with add-ons.
Aberdeen secured £2m for the sale of Sam Cosgrove to Birmingham in 2020.
Cosgrove, an unknown when he arrived for £40,000 from Carlisle, only had 18 months left on his Dons’ deal and had no international pedigree.
MTK Budapest rejected an offer of €1.2 million (£1.03m) from Rapid Vienna for the striker last summer.
He was valued at between €1.5m to €2m (£1.28m to £1.71m) in January this year when club’s enquired about him.
However MTK Budapest’s relegation prompted a summer sale of the club’s overseas talent.
Aberdeen sold a move to Miovski on the basis he would lead the line in an attacking team and his profile would rise in Europe.
The Reds are delivering on that and Miovski is responding with goals.
The winners are Aberdeen, Miovski and the club’s supporters.
Welcome return of Connor Barron
Aberdeen midfielder Connor Barron will thankfully end an almost four-month injury nightmare at the weekend.
The 20-year-old has been sidelined since suffering a knee injury in a pre-season friendly against Buckie Thistle.
Barron was the Dons standout performer in the second half of last season having only made his first team breakthrough in January.
He brings a dynamic energy, game intelligence and drive to the midfield.
Barron has resumed full training and is expected to return for Saturday’s New Firm clash against Dundee United at Tannadice.
Suffering the injury will have been a huge blow to a young player whose career was on a rapid upwards trajectory.
His return will give boss Jim Goodwin more options in a strong midfield already populated by Ylber Ramadani and Ross McCrorie.
Barron has a bright future ahead and the last few months have hopefully been only a blip.
Hopefully he will rapidly return to the high levels of performance shown in the second half of last season.
Saturday evening kick-off experiment
Aberdeen and Dundee United will experiment with Saturday evening football at the weekend.
At a time when clubs are being hit by the cost of living crisis any initiative to raise attendances, and funds, should be applauded.
Ultimately the later kick-off time will make little difference to the players.
It is whether the fans welcome it that will be the litmus test.
Judging by the thousands of Aberdeen fans set to descend on Tannadice, the Red Army seem to be embracing it.
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