Serie A side Bologna are set to secure the signing of Aberdeen midfielder Lewis Ferguson after seemingly winning the race for his services, according to an update from Sky Sports (10/7; 12:00).
The two sides have reportedly agreed a £3m deal for the 22-year-old to head to the Italian top tier, with £2.1m of this agreement being paid up front and £900,000 potentially set to come the Scottish side's way in add-ons in the future.
He is due to head to Italy for a medical today, ending Millwall and Watford's hopes of luring him to England with both sides thought to have been interested in luring him away from Pittodrie this summer.
In fact, Gary Rowett's Lions even went as far as submitting a £1.5m bid for the advanced midfielder's services after seeing him record 16 goals in all competitions for the Scottish top-tier side during the 2021/22 campaign.
However, it was reported at the time that Ferguson's current side would want a lot more for his signature and Bologna have been willing to cough up the amount needed, unlike Rowett's side and the Hornets with the latter retaining their interest.
Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin has confirmed he is set to undergo a medical (10/7; 16:20), ending a reasonably successful four-year stay at the club.
The Verdict:
Considering the Lions have now recruited Zian Flemming and George Honeyman, this is unlikely to be too much of a blow for them, though they probably had Ferguson as their top target.
You couldn't exactly blame them if he was - because he showed the goalscoring pedigree needed to fill the huge void left by Jed Wallace who was a major contributor during his time at The Den.
However, £3m is a hefty deal for a club that haven't spent too much in recent years and their decision to opt against paying that amount could enable them to lure other attacking players to the English capital in the coming months.
They may need multiple players in if they are to fill the gap that Wallace has left - and recruiting several players may also take pressure off one or two new signings like Flemming and Honeyman to produce the goods. Less pressure can only help the duo to thrive.
The Hornets, meanwhile, may be more gutted to miss out on the midfielder but are likely to have other targets to pursue as the new season approaches.