Pittodrie legend Eoin Jess insists Aberdeen need to sign more “exciting, direct, strong and quick” players like Duk.
Boss Barry Robson is closing in on more summer transfer window signing targets.
Six new additions have already been secured in a rebuild as the Dons prepare for a season where they will compete in the European group stages.
Goalkeeper Ross Doohan, 25, is the latest addition having joined on a two-year contract from English League Two Forest Green Rovers.
It is understood Aberdeen hope to push through more signings before the first pre-season friendly at Turriff United on Wednesday.
Striker Duk has yet to join the Dons for pre-season having been involved in international duty with Cape Verde this summer.
He played in the 3-1 defeat of Burkina Faso earlier this month which secured Cape Verde’s qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations next year.
Duk was given an extended summer break due to international duty and missed the ongoing training camp In Portugal.
The striker will return for pre-season on Monday when the Reds are back in the Granite City.
Dons great Jess is a huge admirer of former Benfica striker Duk, who netted 18 goals in all competitions last season.
And Jess, one of Aberdeen’s greatest players, reckons Duk is the type of exciting player Aberdeen need.
Jess said: “Duk is exciting, direct, strong and quick.
“He is the type of player Aberdeen need.
“Duk is also a player that the supporters want to watch in action.
“He had a great first season with Aberdeen and scored some very impressive goals.
“I have been impressed with Duk.”
Clubs across Europe tracking Duk
Duk scooped the Aberdeen player of the year award and his impressive form last season has not gone unnoticed.
Italian club Torino are reportedly keen on bringing Duk to Serie A.
Duk is also on the radar of Italian top-flight Bologna, the club who signed midfielder Lewis Ferguson from Aberdeen for £3 million last summer.
English Premier League Burnley are also understood to be tracking Duk, with Championship Blackburn Rovers and Hull City also reportedly interested in the striker.
Duk is contracted to Aberdeen until summer 2025, and it is understood Benfica would be due a sizeable percentage of any deal for the forward.
Aberdeen do not have to sell Duk this summer and the 24-year-old has repeatedly said he is happy at Pittodrie.
Duk to be absent due to AFCON finals
Reds boss Robson is set to face a selection headache as the AFCON finals, to be held in the Ivory Coast, run from January 13 to February 11 next year.
If, as expected, Duk is in the Cape Verde squad for the finals, he will miss a number of Aberdeen games.
The AFCON finals were initially scheduled for June 23 to July 23, 2023.
However, the Confederation of African Football decided to reschedule it due to the weather conditions in the host county.
The Scottish Premiership goes into a two-week winter shut-down on January 2, returning on January 19.
But Duk would still potentially miss up to three weeks of Aberdeen action.
Duk would be set to miss the Dons first game in the Scottish Cup on the weekend of January 20-21.
Should Cape Verde make it into the knockout rounds at AFCON, Duk would also then be unavailable for the league trip to Hearts on Saturday, January 27.
He could also potentially miss the visit of Celtic to Pittodrie on Saturday, February 3.
Duk will be available for Aberdeen’s involvement in European group stage football until mid-December.
Jess excited by Euro group action
Aberdeen will land a windfall of more than £5 million from their involvement in the group stages.
Jess said: “The group stages of Europe is a fantastic opportunity for the club to generate some money.
“It will also bring the exciting times back to Pittodrie.”
Now based in Barcelona, Dons great Jess, 52, helped Aberdeen win the League Cup final at just 19 years old in 1989.
Jess moved to the English top-flight with Coventry City in 1996.
He later returned to Pittodrie for a second spell and racked up a combined total of 442 appearances, scoring 107 goals.
Jess played in Europe for the Dons in memorable games such as 5-3 aggregate defeat to Italians Torino in 1993.
He reckons Aberdeen could progress to the knock-out stages if they receive a favourable draw for the groups.
The Dons enter the Europa League play-offs on Thursday, August 24.
Should they win their play-off tie, the Reds will qualify for the Europa League groups.
If they lose in the play-offs, Aberdeen will drop into the group stages of the Conference League.
Aberdeen were last in the group stages of Europe in 2007 – in the Uefa Cup.
Jess said: “We will have to see what the draw is.
“Hopefully it will be favourable, but as it is European football it is not going to be easy.
“Playing in the group stages of Europe will be great experience for the club and supporters.
“As regards qualifying from the group stages, who knows?
“It would be fantastic if they could do that.”