Wolverhampton Wanderers are set to finally see some action in terms of their transfer activity, as Gary O’Neil seeks late reinforcements on deadline day.

The Old Gold have had a stagnant summer of business, however news has revealed a possible target for the Midlands club to chase before time runs out.

Who could Wolves sign on deadline day?

After losing Raul Jimenez to Fulham earlier in the window, as well as bidding farewell to Diego Costa, Wolves have been searching for a new forward to bring the goals back to Molineux.

As reported on Sky Sports (as relayed by Football Daily), Wolves "remain in talks" with Southampton over striking a deal for forward Che Adams, with the Saints said to have identified a replacement for the Scotsman in Ross Stewart from Sunderland.

TEAMtalk editor James Marshment claimed that a deal in the region of £15m could be struck, after the 27-year-old spends an initial season on loan at Molineux.

How many goals has Che Adams scored?

With a record total of 88 domestic career goals under his belt so far, via Transfermarkt, Adams has established himself as a reliable goalscorer in England.

The Scot began his footballing journey at Sheffield United, where it quickly became apparent of his strengths in front of goal, netting 11 goals in his breakthrough season in League One for the Blades.

It wasn’t long that the forward was recognised by teams in the league above, and was poached by Birmingham City in 2016, where he scored a total of 34 goals in the Championship.

His path to the top-flight came from his heroics for the Blues, where Saints were alerted to his high-scoring 22-goal season in his final campaign in the second tier.

For Wolves, securing the signature of Adams could be fundamental to O’Neil’s side’s confidence in front of goal, with the Englishman inheriting the squad that scored the lowest amount of goals last season in the Premier League.

The striker, if fused with another deadline day capture of Tommy Doyle from Manchester City, could change the prognosis of the Old Gold’s outlook on goal for the remainder of the campaign.

Previously hailed as a “man on fire” by journalist Benjy Nurick, Adams has what it takes to deliver chances, as highlighted by his three Championship goals in three appearances so far in 2023/24.

What Doyle could add to Adams’ game, and Wolves outlook, is a creative spark to work with, providing O’Neil with a potentially deadly combination in attack.

Representing Sheffield United last season on loan in the Championship, the former Manchester City academy star netted three goals and provided four assists in the league, as well as showcasing his playmaking ability.

As per FBref, the Englishman averaged 1.70 key passes per 90 for the Blades last term, on top of an average 1.17 passes into the penalty area per 90, the sector where Adams is most active.

Communicating the lengths of his creative strengths, in the 2020/21 Premier League 2 season in City’s academy, the 21-year-old recorded an impressive 10 assists in 18 games, suggesting what he could bring to Wolves, and Adams.

It’s expected to be an exceptionally busy day at Molineux, with the opportunity for O’Neil to bolster his options in the final third by capturing the Southampton marksman.

ضاعف مانشستر يونايتد تقدمه أمام خصمه فريق مانشستر سيتي، في مباراتهما الجارية حاليًا في بطولة كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي.

ويستضيف ملعب “ويمبلي” مباراة الفريقين في نهائي كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي، 2023/24 (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وتمكن مانشستر يونايتد من تسجيل الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 39 من عمر الشوط الأول.

جاء الهدف عن طريق كوبي ماينو بطريقة رائعة، بعد تمريرة من برونو فرنانديز، والذي استغله زميله ليسجل الهدف الثاني لكتيبة إريك تين هاج. هدف مانشستر يونايتد الثاني أمام مانشستر سيتي

كان مانشستر يونايتد قد تقدم بفضل هدف الأرجنتيني أليخاندرو جارناتشو في الدقيقة 30.

Bangladesh would view that as an excellent opportunity to put one over the team that is now under the charge of their former coach Chandika Hathurusingha

The Preview by Madushka Balasuriya18-Jan-2018

Big pictureThe securing of Chandika Hathurusingha to coach Sri Lanka was seen as a boon for an under fire cricket board, and his no-nonsense approach to training, attention to detail, and penchant for data analysis has gained him a litany of admirers. There is also the small matter of his three-year stint with Bangladesh, which saw the team achieve unprecedented success, most notably home series wins against India, Pakistan, South Africa*.In that sense, the fact that Sri Lanka go into this clash with Bangladesh – a team they have lost to rarely – as underdogs speaks both towards Hathurusingha’s credentials while at the same time providing a genuine test of his credentials.On Wednesday night, Sri Lanka’s core issues were on display for all to see; a largely impotent bowling line-up, suspect fielding, and an inconsistent middle order all came together to ensure they lost their third straight ODI to Zimbabwe. That said there were some positives, such as the form of Thisara Perera – with both bat and ball – and the devastating return to form of Kusal Perera. There was also one big negative. The captain Angelo Mathews is struggling with hamstring problems again – issues which may see him miss more than just one game.For Bangladesh, the team got the new year off to the ideal start with an efficient dispatch of Zimbabwe in the opening ODI, while Shakib Al Hasan’s excellent all-round display, and an even spread of wickets among the bowling unit will hold the team in good stead ahead of the Sri Lanka game. However, this match will definitely have more meaning than most for Bangladesh, a team certainly still smarting from Hathurusingha’s sudden departure less than two years out from a World Cup. Expect fireworks.Form guideBangladesh: WLLLW
Sri Lanka: LLLWLIn the spotlightIf Kusal Perera had spent another 30 minutes at the crease on Wednesday evening, Sri Lanka would probably have beaten Zimbabwe. Instead, he got out for 80 and the rest of the batting line-up crumbled. If he gets set again against Bangladesh, Kusal would have to bat deeper into the innings.The Bangladesh top-order is a tough place to break into these days so Anamul Haque would be expected to put in a better effort in his second game back in the team after nearly three years.Sri Lanka’s head coach Chandika Hathurusingha at a practice session•Getty Images

Team newsOfficial word is that a decision on Mathews’ availability will be taken on the day of the game, with Niroshan Dickwella likely to replace him if he fails the fitness test. Dinesh Chandimal and Thisara Perera are possible stand-in captains.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 4 Angelo Mathews/ Niroshan Dickwella, 5 Kusal Mendis, 6 Asela Gunaratne, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Akila Dhananjaya, 11 Dushmantha ChameeraBangladesh is unlikely to change a winning line-up.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Anamul Haque, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Nasir Hossain, 7 Sabbir Rahman, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Sunzamul Islam, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Rubel HossainPitch and conditionsThe good news is that the cold spell is ending in Dhaka which would mean less softness in the pitches and better batting conditions in the first half of the game.Stats and trivia Tamim Iqbal is 126 runs away from becoming the highest run-getter at a single venue. Currently Sanath Jayasuriya is on top of the list, having made 2,514 runs at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Provided he passes fit, Mathews is set to become the fourth Sri Lankan captain to complete 100 ODIs. Arjuna Ranatunga leads the list with 193 ODIs, followed by Mahela Jayawardene and Jayasuriya.Quotes”Bangladesh have beaten all the top teams at home in the last two years. It will be tough and challenging. We can’t play like today. We were not up to the standards today.”

“[Chandika Hathurusingha] is a very good coach, but as you saw on Monday, it is Tamim Iqbal who scores runs, Shakib Al Hasan who takes wickets. Chandika [Hathurusingha] can’t score runs or take wickets.”
*18.00 GMT The story had incorrectly stated that Bangladesh had secured a series win over England at home.

Hampshire have signed South Africa batsman Hashim Amla as their overseas player for the first three months of the 2018 domestic season

George Dobell28-Feb-2018Hampshire have signed South Africa batsman Hashim Amla as their overseas player for the first three months of the 2018 domestic season. Amla, who has been rated as the No. 1 batsman in both Test and ODI cricket, will be available for County Championship and Royal London One-Day Cup action.The move, coming just after the club completed the signing of Sam Northeast, further strengthens the Hampshire batting and underlines the club’s ambition for the coming season. Both men might also be considered captaincy options in due course.While Giles White, Hampshire’s head coach, has confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that James Vince will be the first choice-captain in all formats should he be available – his future in the England team could be decided in New Zealand in the coming weeks – both Northeast and Amla have extensive leadership experience.Either way, Amla’s signing confirms that George Bailey will not return. Despite having a year to run on his contract, Bailey had expressed reservations about coming back some time ago and White confirmed he will not be signed for the second half of the season to replace Amla.”Hashim is an exciting acquisition for us and we feel he’ll be an excellent fit within the group we’ve got, both on and off the pitch,”White said.”He’s a world-class player and this addition adds strength and depth to our batting for the first three months of the season. Runs on the board are important and hopefully this will help us achieve that consistently in both the four-day and 50-over competitions. We’re looking forward to welcoming Hashim and his family to the club.”Amla said: “I am really pleased to be joining a club like Hampshire. Everyone I have spoken to, who have either played or are currently playing there, have only had good things to say about the team.”I look forward to spending the first three months of the season with them, which works out well for me to be able to get some high-quality cricket in before the Proteas tour to Sri Lanka in July.”The 34-year-old has previously had spells at Essex (2009), Nottinghamshire (2010), Surrey (2013-14) and Derbyshire (2015) and underlined his comfort in English conditions by becoming the first South African to score a triple-century in Test cricket when reaching a career-best 311 not out against England at The Oval in 2012.

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson has said that Eden Park, the ground at which Australia mounted a record T20 chase of 244, is a “great cricket venue” and that games held there were not just run-fests. He also emphasised the importance of the Auckland venue for New Zealand cricket, with Eden Park receiving one of the higher footfalls in the country.”I think you’ve just got to look at history haven’t you, and how many great games of cricket we’ve had at Eden Park,” Hesson said after New Zealand qualified for the final of the Trans-Tasman T20 tournament. “Not all of them have been 244 in a T20. We’ve had that many different games here – a couple of Chappell-Hadlee games in recent times, the World Cup where the Black Caps only just got home chasing 152 in a one-day international. Every game’s different. It’s a great cricket venue.”Trevor Bayliss, the England coach, had called for T20 internationals to be struck off, save for “maybe six months” before a World T20. “Look, I haven’t changed my opinion on it. I wouldn’t play T20 internationals,” Bayliss had told “I’d just let the franchises play. If we continue putting on so many games there’ll be a certain amount of blowout, not just players but coaches as well.”Hesson, however, disagreed with Bayliss, and said there was a “revenue-generation issue” that couldn’t be discounted in the context of New Zealand cricket. “In some countries that’s not as big a deal, but for New Zealand Cricket, to get 35,000 at Eden Park or whatever it was the other day, that’s huge for us, and huge for the game, and huge for the promotion of the game,” he said. “We certainly get great support for T20 internationals over here. Too right they are [meaningful]. Every international you play is incredibly meaningful. You’ve got guys who only play T20 and that’s their chance to play international cricket, so absolutely.”Looking ahead to the tri-series final at Eden Park on Wednesday, Hesson said Australia were favourites after winning all four of their league games. The match will be played on the same pitch on which Australia chased 244 against New Zealand on Friday.”Sometimes when you’re under pressure like that, you do end up chasing the game,” Hesson said. “A big part of T20 cricket is trying to be ahead of it, and that’s easier said than done when you’ve got such good ball strikers on a good surface. We’re going to come up with a couple of different things and see how that works.”

Everton have endured a season to forget so far, failing to win a single game and picking up their one point on the road against newly-promoted Sheffield United.

Sean Dyche will hope to see summer signings such as Beto, Jack Harrison, and Arnaut Danjuma start to make their mark after the international break, but the Toffees still have options for further incomings, through the free agent market.

With a reported takeover by 777 Partners advancing, Everton could yet get much-needed improvements in January, but the way things are going, they may need some sort of reinforcement long before then. And that's where one particular free agent could come in, with the Merseyside club reportedly joining the race for his signature.

What's the latest Everton transfer news?

In total, during the summer transfer window, Everton spent a reported €41m (£35m), as they welcomed five fresh faces. It was supposed to be the true start of the Dyche era. The end of relegation battles, and into the comfort of mid-table once again. That has, of course, been anything but the case, with their Premier League status arguably at more risk than ever before.

In desperate need of reinforcements, the Toffees have reportedly turned to the free agent market. According to TeamTalk, Everton have joined the race to sign Xeka, alongside Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the midfielder currently a free agent after leaving Stade Rennais at the end of last season.

It comes as little surprise that the Portuguese midfielder is attracting so much interest, given that, when fit, he has been part of the Lille side that beat Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title.

Everton will have to fend off interest from elsewhere if they are to sign Xeka in the coming weeks, but he's certainly a player they could do with having at their disposal.

Should Everton sign Xeka?

Dyche could do with all the reinforcements he can get at Goodison Park, particularly in midfield following the departure of Alex Iwobi in the summer transfer window. Signing Xeka would be relatively risk free, too, given his free agent status. If things didn't work out, then Everton wouldn't have wasted any key transfer funds when it comes to the fee.

The 28-year-old possesses the rare trait of having no weak foot, and, therefore, could hand the Toffees some versatility regarding which side of the midfield he would operate in. That, on top of his experience as a champion, would be an invaluable asset for those at Goodison Park.

One concern will be his injury history, however. Last season, Xeka missed 24 games through an ankle injury, and having not had a pre-season to get fit, there could be a worry that the midfielder will only suffer the same blow at his next club.

With a number of clubs chasing his signature, the former Lille man may just have a decision to make in the coming weeks. From Everton's perspective, if they do go onto pursue Xeka's signature even further, they'll just hope to get a deal done as soon as possible.

The Premier League has overcome the circus of the summer transfer window, with clubs spending a record £2.36bn on signings in the highly-inflated market. Wolverhampton Wanderers took part in the spending, despite being anonymous for the most part due to restrictions on funds as a result of Financial Fair Play (FFP) breaches from windows prior.

The Old Gold welcomed eight new arrivals this summer, including the permanent moves of Matheus Cunha and Boubacar Traore, as well as the deadline day swoops for loanee Tommy Doyle and £12.8m Jean-Ricner Bellegarde.

Selling Matheus Nunes on the final day hugely bolstered Gary O’Neil’s chances of strengthening his squad for the season ahead, adding much-needed funds to the bank to enable such moves.

Despite bringing in reinforcements, the club missed out on a number of targets that could have been fundamental assets to O’Neil’s plans to better the squad's form of last season.

Who was linked to Wolves this summer?

The one that got away this summer was most prominently former Bristol City midfielder Alex Scott, whom Wolves made two bids for below the asking price of £25m.

The highly-rated Englishman made the move to the Premier League with Bournemouth, in a deal that highlighted how much of an issue the Midlands club’s financial struggles were at the time.

In July, it was reported that the Old Gold had got talks underway over the potential move for Real Betis’ Guido Rodriguez but nothing came of the rumours. However, it did signify the area that the club were hoping to improve.

A deadline day saga over the reported interest in Southampton’s Che Adams also equated to nothing as the Saints blocked the striker’s move, leaving Wolves short on forwards.

While missing out on such deals is disappointing, one that truly could’ve made the difference at Molineux was Fluminense midfielder Andre, who was linked with the club by reports in Brazil.

The £35m-valued man was also eyed by Liverpool, who had a bid of £26m rejected by the Brazilian outfit, telling of his talents to be wanted in the Premier League and valued so highly at Fluminense.

A combative and lively central midfielder, Andre could have replenished the wilted middle of the park at Molineux, which was left relatively bare following the departures of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho.

Who is Andre?

A product of Fluminense’s academy, the 22-year-old has cemented his worth in his homeland, becoming a vital part of the club’s side as highlighted by his 43 appearances over the 2022/23 campaign.

Lauded as “top-class” by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his playing style and described as a “roaming play-maker”, the 2001-born gem has a host of attributes that could have been useful at Molineux.

To reward the impressive performances of Andre, the Fluminense ace was handed his first cap for Brazil in an international friendly against Senegal in June, the game ended in defeat but marked the start of something potentially special for the rising star.

Competent in both defensive and offensive roles relative to a player of his position, it’s unsurprising that he has gained attention from the Premier League, as both Liverpool and Wolves endeavoured on quests for a player fitting of his style.

South American football expert Nathan Joyes was full of praise for the 22-year-old following his links to English clubs, tipping him to become Brazil’s “next best defensive midfielder."

What could Andre have offered to Wolves?

Hiring from Brazil has already worked well for Wolves this year, with Julen Lopetegui sealing a deal for former Flamengo midfielder Joao Gomes in January.

Since his arrival, the 22-year-old has become a key member of the side at Molineux, with his playing style and tackling ability making him a reliable figure to balance play in the engine room.

As per FBref, the former Flamengo whiz averaged 4.00 tackles per 90 during his first taste of the Premier League, a figure that places him in the top 1% of midfielders in the English top tier.

As such, the more progressive Andre could have been the perfect partner in the middle of the park.

Andre averages per 90 in 2023 Serie A.

Pass Completion %

93.8%

Progressive Passes

5.76

Passes Attempted

80.32

Final Third Passes

7.07

Interceptions

1.43

Tackles

2.44

Figures provided by FBref.

It didn’t take long for the new arrival to settle into his new surroundings, which poses the thought of what could have been for Andre at Wolves, should the Old Gold have had the finances to sanction a swoop for his services.

Joyes also described the bright midfielder as an “unbelievable talent”, whom he believes has the ability to “flourish in the Premier League”, praise indeed for a player coming from afar to feature in one the best leagues in the world.

So many players have arrived in England with huge potential and little to show for it at the time of their eventual departure, with the demands of the English game deemed to be incomprehensible to the playing style of some.

Being identifiable as an individual who could take to the Premier League made Andre even more of an attractive coup for Wolves, pondering the question of just how well he would have fitted into the squad.

This summer induced change at Molineux, with long-serving midfielders Neves and Moutinho calling it quits on their career with the Old Gold, leaving behind a sense of instability in the middle of the park in their absence.

With reference to his statistics in Brazil, Andre is the definition of stability, averaging a passing accuracy rate of 93.3% per 90, as well as making an average of 2.32 tackles per 90 over the past year for Fluminense, via FBref.

Amid all the chaos over the summer, Wolves could have captured the signature of a talent that could have replaced the calibre of the departed midfield duo, as well as introducing a state of control at a time of need.

Hailed as a “midfield orchestrator” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the Old Gold missed a huge chance to seal the signing of a player highly lauded and backed to become one of the best as his career progresses.

Finances and changes within the club acted as a smokescreen to the potential that could have been captured in the window, however with the 22-year-old still playing his football at his boyhood team, maybe a move could still be on the cards in the near future.

MatériaMais Notícias

Vitinho foi substituído no intervalo do jogo do último domingo, entre Flamengo e Athletico-PR, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro, e ficou ciente depois da partida que oradialista Gilson Ricardo, da “Rádio Tupi” o tinha xingado de “m***” assim que Everton Ribeiro, que havia entrado em seu lugar, marcara um gol na vitória por 3 a 1. O Rubro-Negro e o atacante já se manifestaram, na última noite.

Agora, nesta segunda-feira, foi a vez de Diego Ribas fazer coro por respeito, na seguinte mensagem, via Twitter:

– Em um mundo onde difamar e desrespeitar chama muito mais a atenção das pessoas, é possível cobrar e ser crítico sem ser desleal. Mas para isso é preciso muito caráter e dignidade e infelizmente nem todos conseguem. #RESPEITO – escreveu o camisa 10 do Flamengo, um dos capitães do elenco.

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Em um mundo onde difamar e desrespeitar chama muito mais a atenção das pessoas, é possível cobrar e ser crítico sem ser desleal. Mas para isso é preciso muito caráter e dignidade e infelizmente nem todos conseguem. #RESPEITO

— Diego Ribas (@ribasdiego10) October 5, 2020

Através de sua conta oficial no Twitter, o Flamengo se manifestou e repudiou os comentários do radialista, exigindo uma retratação.

– O Clube de Regatas do Flamengo repudia veementemente as palavras utilizadas pelo radialista Gilson Ricardo, ao se referir ao atleta Vitinho. A postura não condiz com a de um profissional experiente, com tantos anos de mercado. Como comunicador, deveria saber diferenciar crítica construtiva de xingamentos covardes. O Clube aguarda uma retratação de Gilson Ricardo e da Rádio Tupi. – afirmou.

Em sua conta no Instagram, Vitinho pediu respeito e publicou um longo texto em forma de desabafo.Confira:

Por sua vez,Gilson Ricardofez o pedido de desculpas, na manhã desta segunda-feira, durante o “Programa Antônio Carlos”, na emissora carioca:

– Eu queria pedir desculpas e mandar um abraço para o Vitinho. Ele não jogou bem, deu uma furada. Quero pedir desculpas ao Vitinho, ele é muito querido, um abraço, um beijo. A você, a sua família, ao Flamengo. Num momento de emoção, eu, que sou rubro-negro, extrapolei – disse o radialista.

The news over recent days has focused on England players choosing to give up the first-class game, but Surrey’s Stuart Meaker has taken a step in the opposite direction

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2018

The news over recent days has focused on England players choosing to give up the first-class game, but Surrey’s Stuart Meaker has taken a step in the opposite direction by signing to play for Auckland in the Plunket Shield during March, as part of his preparations for the Championship season.Meaker, who has been capped four times and toured New Zealand with England in 2013, has a reputation as one of the quickest bowlers in county cricket. He was approached after Surrey team-mate Sam Curran, who played T20 for Auckland during the Super Smash, recommended him, and could play in four rounds of New Zealand’s domestic competition.”Auckland came in on the recommendation of Sam Curran, who was out there,” Meaker said. “They said have you got anyone that bowls reasonable gas and can come and play a few first-class games for us towards the end of the season. So they asked me to pop down and looks like I’m going off there for the whole of March.”Meaker has been given permission to miss Surrey’s pre-season tour to Dubai in March, and hopes to benefit from playing first-class cricket in the run-up to the season. Surrey are not in action in the opening round of the Championship, waiting until April 20 before starting against Hampshire.With Adil Rashid and Alex Hales making headlines over the last week by opting out of Championship cricket for their counties, Meaker’s decision to go abroad to focus on his red-ball game is something of a counterpoint.”It’s a good build-up toward the start of the season,” he said. “Sometimes guys go away and play club cricket in Australia, this is just a step further than that, going off and playing some four-day games, getting some overs under my belt. That does unfortunately mean I miss out on pre-season tours and games, but there’s nothing quite like playing in an actual competitive four-day game to get you ready for the start of the year.”I’ve been out there before with the England team, quite few years ago. We were set up in Auckland and that was my first experience of cricket in New Zealand. They had a really good set-up, really good facilities. It’s just a chance to play some different cricket at a historic club.”Although his England prospects have receded, partly through injuries, Meaker is still only 29 and likely to be in contention across all three formats for Surrey.

Glasgow Rangers' opening nine matches of the 2023/24 campaign promised so much, yet Michael Beale has managed to secure just four victories from these games.

The international break arrived at precisely the right time and hopefully the players will realise that staying in second gear won't be enough to claim domestic prizes this term.

Having signed nine players during the summer, initial signs aren’t promising that the vast majority of them will make a difference in the quest for success this season.

Jack Butland is perhaps the only one who can receive pass marks and Beale missed out on a variety of players which could potentially have bolstered his squad, such as Harry Souttar and Luis Palma.

The 43-year-old also recently submitted his Europa League squad for the group stages and two new signings miss out, Kieran Dowell and Leon Balogun, as just 22 players were chosen.

A lack of homegrown players is clearly an issue and this could have been solved had the Light Blues managed to keep hold of a player who is now currently shining on the continent; Lewis Ferguson.

Did Rangers release Lewis Ferguson?

Ferguson, the son of former Gers star Derek and nephew of Barry, was a part of the youth setup at the club between 2009 and 2013, before leaving to join Hamilton Academical that very same year, and it now looks like a major mistake.

With a father and uncle who had starred for the Glasgow side across two different eras, it was evident that Ferguson knew the standards expected, but obviously, the club didn’t share the same vision.

What happened to Lewis Ferguson?

After just one campaign in the Hamilton first team, Ferguson moved to the North East and joined Aberdeen in the summer of 2018 having initially signed a pre-contract agreement in May.

Dons boss Derek McInnes praised the teenager, saying: “Lewis is a promising young player who I look forward to working with and developing here at Pittodrie.”

He exploded into life during his maiden season in Aberdeen, going on to make 45 appearances in all competitions while registering 16 goal contributions – eight goals and eight assists – which included scoring the winner at Hampden against Rangers in the League Cup semi-final along with a goal against Premier League side Burnley in the qualifying rounds of the Europa League.

His potential seemed limitless and over the following two seasons he continued to be a mainstay in the heart of the Dons midfield while regularly chipping in with goals and assists, showcasing his attacking abilities.

Writer Stefan Bienkowski hailed the midfielder and his abilities during the 2020/21 season, saying: “Big fan of Lewis Ferguson just deciding he’s going to boss every game, every week this season.”

During the 2021/22 season, Ferguson enjoyed his most productive season to date. Over 36 league matches, he netted 11 times, took 3.4 shots per game, averaged 0.8 key passes per game and won a staggering 8.1 total duels each match, demonstrating how effective he was over a wide range of metrics.

Indeed, these figures would see him rank first, first and 12th across the squad and with these performances, interest was slowly building with regard to him moving away from Aberdeen.

Where is Lewis Ferguson now?

Prior to this wonderful season, Rangers were linked with a move for their former academy gem, yet it failed to materialise and just a year later, the midfielder was heading to Italy, as Serie A side Bologna secured his services for a fee of just £3m.

Former Hamilton owner Ronnie MacDonald believed that the Gers should have gone all out to get the 24-year-old, saying: “He was their (Aberdeen's) midfield enforcer when he’d just turned 19 years of age. If there was a hole in their team, he was the one they’d look for to fill it. But he’s a terrific lad with a great attitude and he’d have done it without questioning it. As a person and a player, Lewis is a diamond.

“He’s captaincy material and, when I look at him, he looks like a Rangers player and captain-type to me. Considering his family background, I can’t understand why there hasn’t been interest from them in him. But if he’s going to go to Italy, the best of luck to him."

His spell on the continent has been an extraordinary success for the young Scot. During the 5 foot 11 midfielder's debut season, the former Aberdeen star notched seven goals in 32 league matches for the Serie A side, including a goal against eventual champions Napoli as he took to Italian football with ease, following in the footsteps of former Scots who played in the country such as Denis Law and Graeme Souness.

Journalist Kenny Millar lauded him for his display against Inter Milan back in February, saying: “Class to see Lewis Ferguson more than hold his own as Bologna beat Inter Milan.

“Clear how highly thought of he is over here when you speak to staff and supporters.”

He has even been linked with European giants Juventus and AC Milan recently, proving that his move to Italy has worked wonders for his development.

How much is Lewis Ferguson worth now?

Having left the Gers for nothing a decade ago, the Scot now finds himself valued at €20m (£17m) according to the CIES Football Observatory and there is no doubt that this value will continue to rise with every positive display.

Rangers must be kicking themselves now having missed out on the midfielder and indeed let him go all those years ago. They could’ve signed him for £3m just a year ago, yet, if the club had more faith, he may not have left for anything way back in 2013.

With the need for more homegrown talent in the squad, especially for European football, it makes the decision much worse and hopefully, Beale will keep this in mind when keeping tabs on young talent which emerges through the academy.

Ferguson has been a beacon of light for Scottish football on the continent, and it is no secret that moving to Italy has helped progress his game massively, playing against far better players than if he remained in Scotland.

Hopefully, this is a wake-up call to the club and that this mistake will be avoided in the future.