Jim Goodwin has revealed Aberdeen are hoping to tie up a deal for Benfica striker Luis Lopes within the days forward - sizing the Dons' switch goal up in opposition to Celtic star Jota.
The Pittodrie aspect are locked in talks with the Portuguese staff to land the 22-year-old striker and the deal is close to completion. Goodwin reckons he has all of the credentials to emulate Jota who additionally arrived in Scotland from the Portuguese giants. He mentioned: “If we handle to get a deal for Lopez over the road it should give us one other good attacking choice. He'll rating objectives. He’s had a very good training with Benfica. He’s solely a yr youthful than Jota at Celtic – and I’m not for one minute evaluating him to Jota – however he’s had the same training.”
In the meantime Goodwin insists Lewis Ferguson can show fortune favours the courageous after making a dream transfer to Bologna. The Aberdeen boss praised the Scotland midfielder for touchdown a take care of the Serie A aspect and backed him to comply with within the success of Aaron Hickey and Liam Henderson.
Because the 22-year-old accomplished his £3million change to the Italians, Goodwin admits it’s a part of a rising development of Scots teenager’s being ready to broaden their horizons.
He mentioned: “It’s a really courageous transfer for Lewis. I like him for that. There’s plenty of younger lads on the market that lack the braveness to maneuver away from dwelling the place there's a totally different language and totally different tradition.
“I give him a giant pat on the again. It’s one thing I all the time needed to attempt to do as a participant myself.
“I attempted to get to Greece one yr, tried to get to Austria and even so far as Australia. I really feel at that younger age, once you’re a single man, the alternatives on the market to journey are far simpler.
“It’ll be a superb transfer for Lewis. I mentioned ‘you go and provides it your finest shot. In the event you don’t fancy it after 12 months you may all the time come again dwelling’.
“That might be the recommendation I might give to any younger participant in the meanwhile. It's a massive world on the market and to go and be taught a special language and play a special type of soccer can be good for Lewis’ profession as a result of it could get him used to enjoying a special type of soccer, hopefully assist him to proceed his growth.
“The younger boy Hickey had nice success on the market and bought his transfer again to the Premier League. Younger Henderson who was at Celtic has been very profitable on the market as effectively.
“There’s no motive Lewis can’t have comparable success.”
The Pittodrie aspect face Dumbarton tonight in a second League Cup group tie having already overwhelmed Peterhead and Goodwin is adamant his summer season rebuild has introduced a freshness into his squad.
He mentioned: “Of the enjoying squad out there once I arrived in February, 15 of these gamers together with Ferguson and Calvin Ramsay have now gone.
“We’ve solely signed six so we nonetheless want one other three or 4. I’ve let 15 go, that doesn’t imply I need to carry 15 in, however the six we’ve managed to do, everybody who’s been to the video games can see what they’re going to carry. We’ve bought an actual freshness now concerning the group. The recruitment staff and degree of element we’ve gone into in attempting to signal these gamers since February – plenty of laborious work goes into it.”
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