Securing Leighton Clarkson on a four-year contract from Liverpool is a massive transfer coup by Aberdeen.
Clarkson is a tremendous talent who reminds me of James Maddison, who was on loan at Aberdeen in the first half of the 2016-17 season.
Maddison was 19 years old when he arrived at Pittodrie, with Clarkson 20 when he came to the Granite City last term.
Just look what Maddison has gone on to achieve.
He secured a £22.5 million move from Norwich City to Leicester City and racked up more than 150 games in the English top-flight with the Foxes.
Maddison also won the FA Cup with Leicester and is an England international.
He started England’s 4-0 Euro 2024 qualifying win over Malta on Friday.
Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are both linked with a summer move for Maddison, who is valued at £50m.
When I see what Maddison has achieved, I can’t help but think that is also all there for Clarkson as well.
It is a high bar when you start comparing Clarkson to Maddison – but why not?
Clarkson has very similar qualities to Maddison as he is also superb on the ball, can score from set-pieces and asserts a huge influence on games.
I am sure Clarkson has broad enough shoulders to handle a comparison with Maddison.
Clarkson is an extremely exciting talent with his whole career ahead of him.
Clarkson can pull Aberdeen to next level as he tries to reach next level individually
He will be hungry to improve his standing within the game and that can only benefit Aberdeen.
Clarkson will be driven to take his performances to the next level and to also take Aberdeen to the next level.
Securing the midfielder on a long-term contract until summer 2027 is a fabulous deal from Aberdeen.
Anyone who watched the midfielder play will realize he is a huge talent.
That became pretty evident within minutes of his debut for Aberdeen when he scored a sensational goal in the 4-1 defeat of St Mirren in August.
It was an early taste of what was to come from a player who lit up Pittodrie and Scottish football.
Now he has committed his long term future to Aberdeen and the club’s supporters are rightly over the moon.
🚀 🤯
WHAT. A. GOAL
👏🏽 Leighton Clarkson.#StandFree | #cinchPrem pic.twitter.com/4mz4FIP3bL
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) August 7, 2022
What is exciting is that Clarkson will get even better and will do that in an Aberdeen shirt.
The Dons have European group football next season and that is a platform where the former Liverpool midfielder can really excel.
Aberdeen were very positive a deal could be done for Clarkson this summer.
However, you always have to be a little wary as he is coming from such a big club in Liverpool.
With aspects such as how do you manage to actually structure the deal?
Let’s not forget a number of clubs in the English championship were also keen on signing Clarkson this summer.
However, he opted to move to Aberdeen.
It is brilliant news for the fans, the club, manager Barry Robson and the player himself.
Clarkson obviously feels Aberdeen is where he wants to develop his career.
He was such a key player for the Dons last season.
Clarkson signing on at Pittodrie is the all round best story that could have come out in the transfer window for Aberdeen.
I am hugely excited at the prospect of watching him perform at European and domestic level for the Dons.
He is a great investment in the club going forward.
By securing him on a four-year deal, Aberdeen know that if clubs start swooping for him there will be a financial reward if Clarkson were to exit.
However, rather than a financial reward, I would much rather see him play at Aberdeen for the duration of his contract.
Securing Clarkson so early in the transfer window is a major move in what will be a rebuild this summer.
There will have to be many more signings arriving at Pittodrie this summer as the club will be competing on two fronts.
But well done to Aberdeen’s board of directors, manager Robson and the recruitment team for pushing through the deal for Clarkson.
Sokler signing bolsters attack options
The signing of striker Ester Sokler was needed to bulk up Aberdeen’s attacking options.
Strikers Bojan Miovski and Duk both did incredibly well last season with 18 goals each in all competitions.
However, if manger Barry Robson were to lose Duk or Miovski, he would need that back-up.
Sokler has signed on at Pittodrie on a three-year deal from Slovenian club NK Radomlje.
A former Slovenian U21 international, Sokler will be ambitious and determined to make his mark in Scotland with Aberdeen.
That back-up and competition will be needed throughout the team as Aberdeen will be guaranteed eight European games in the upcoming season.
They have the Europa League play-offs in late August, and, after that, Aberdeen will either be competing in the group stages of the Europa League or Conference League.
Aberdeen’s players will not have experienced the pressure that comes when constantly playing European football.
It will be Thursday night games and then a league match on Sunday.
That puts a mental and physical stress on players.
These are all good things – I am not saying they are bad.
It is how you handle it that counts.
European football is where players want to be.
They want to be in the position where they are being asked these questions.
However, if you haven’t been through it before, it will be a tough experience.
They have to be alerted to the fact that it will not be plain sailing.
Although they should embrace the challenge that is coming their way, it is going to be a difficult road map for them to negotiate.
But it will be an exciting one.
If the squad can be solidified in numbers and quality, it will be an exciting time for the club, the players and the fans.
I am sure all the fans will be hugely looking forward to what they will witness in the new season.
Scotland closing in on Euro 2024
If Scotland beat Georgia at Hampden tonight, I think the Tartan Army can start booking their flights to Germany next summer.
You can never say anything is definite, but if Scotland make it four wins from four it would take a hugely negative turnaround for them not to qualify for Euro 2024.
Steve Clarke’s Scots sit proudly at the top of their qualifying group with a 100 percent record.
The top two qualify from the group – and if Scotland beat Georgia to make it 12 points from 12, they will have one foot firmly in Euro 2024.
To turn the game around in Norway to win 2-1 after trailing with only minutes remaining was something special.
It reminded me of Manchester United’s Champions League final defeat of Bayern Munich in 1999.
There looked to be no way back for Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United as they trailed Bayern 1-0 going into injury time.
Then Teddy Sherringham netted an equaliser, before Ole Gunnar Solskjær scored the dramatic late winner.
It showed Sir Alex to be a master manager and Steve Clarke did something similar in Oslo.
It was a sensational finish to a match that will live long in the memory with Scotland supporters.
I thought it was an average game with a lot of unforced errors by both sides and not many chances created.
The substitutions by both managers were key.
Norwegian manager Stale Solbakken made a huge error in taking off his two strikers, Erling Haaland and Alexander Sorloth.
My thoughts at the time were Norway think they have won this game, which is always a dangerous outlook, but there were still a few minutes to play plus any added-on time.
Then Clarke put on his substitutions which was inspirational – especially with Kenny McLean coming off the bench to score the winner.
Solbakken got it wrong and Clarke got it absolutely right.
Clarke managed to turn what looked like a defeat into a glorious win.
It is fabulous for the Scottish game.
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