Jim Goodwin hopes to combat off curiosity in one other of his younger Aberdeen stars by handing Connor Barron a brand new deal. The Dons boss has already been compelled to relinquish Calvin Ramsay after proprietor Dave Cormack was introduced with an £8million provide from Liverpool he couldn't refuse.
However Goodwin fears he may need to wave goodbye to Ramsay’s fellow Scotland Beneath-21 internationalist Barron with Celtic and Italian pair Bologna and Sassuolo monitoring the teenager. The Irishman insists the younger full-back deserves a pay bump to match his burgeoning potential.
However he additionally hopes it'd persuade his suitors to look elsewhere. Goody mentioned: “We’ve bought quite a few good younger gamers in our squad whose contracts we need to prolong. Connor Barron is one among them. He had a terrific second half of the season, one of many nominees for participant of the 12 months. He is the kind of participant you need to be constructing groups round due to his age.
“Primarily based on what he did within the second half of the marketing campaign there may be at all times going to be hypothesis. Connor is a terrific younger expertise, he is nonetheless bought a hell of loads of improvement to do. I spoke to him final week and I believe Aberdeen, in the mean time, is the most effective place for him to additional his improvement.
“We might like to get Connor on a greater contract, he deserves to be rewarded, he deserves a greater monetary contract. On the identical time we have to defend our property as properly. We would like Connor to remain.
“He is bought two years left (on his present deal) so there isn't any strain on anyone in the mean time however we simply need Connor to know the way necessary we predict he's and the way a lot we would like him round.”
Whereas the Pittodrie gaffer is bracing himself for bids for Barron, he insists he’s heard nothing after it was claimed Millwall had made a £1.5million transfer for midfielder Lewis Ferguson. Confirming the Scotland ace would report for pre-season responsibility forward of Monday’s flight to their Spanish pre-season camp, Goodwin added: “I’m not conscious of any bid from Millwall in the mean time.
“I’m not aware of these conversations. I had a superb likelihood with Lewis and mentioned the identical factor I mentioned about Calvin Ramsey. All people has a valuation - if it’s met, we’ll have that dialogue with the participant and his representatives. Till that point comes, I’ll be wanting ahead to having Lewis Ferguson as a part of our squad.”
Goodwin has already welcomed American hitman Christian Ramirez again from his sun-shine break again residence within the States. And he says the bronzed bomber is able to shine for the Reds this season.
He mentioned: “Christian has come again wanting nice, he’s bought a hell of a suntan so the climate in California will need to have been nice. He’s again concerned and appears as if he’s recharged the batteries and is able to go.
“The benefit of the signings we’ve made is that now we have competitors everywhere in the pitch now. Now we have that up entrance and wanted it as a result of final season Christian was the one recognised striker for lengthy elements of the season.
“It’s no coincidence that he ran out of steam. It will likely be good as soon as now we have all of our enterprise performed, we might be in a really robust place. We can have energy and high quality in there.”
Goodwin has additionally loved taking a better have a look at new mortgage recruit Liam Scales. The Celtic defender made probably the most of his Hoops look as a left-back final time period however his Dons supervisor plans to make use of the previous Shamrock Rovers stopper extra centrally at Pittodrie.
He mentioned: “I attempted to get Liam Scales after I was at St Mirren however sadly the bid wasn’t accepted by Shamrock Rovers on the time. Then about 9 months later Celtic had a bid accepted for him.
“I at all times noticed him as a left-sided centre again, I’ve seen him play as a part of a 3 and left of a 4. However personally I want him left centre half and for me he might be a centre again."
In the meantime, Aberdeen stay in talks with Ipswich over Goodwin's former Saints No.1 Vaclav Hladky. The Dons have been hoping to land the Czech stopper on a free switch however the Tractor Boys are holding out for a £100,000 price.