Leeds United know that Premier League rivals Liverpool are likely to snap up Calvin Ramsay from Aberdeen at their expense, as reported by The Athletic.
Now, first-team football would certainly be more attainable at Elland Road than Anfield. That much is obvious.
Luke Ayling is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a serious knee injury, after all, while Jurgen Klopp can call upon arguably the finest right-back in world football on the other side of the Pennines.
But patience, as they say, is a virtue.
Ramsay need only look at Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andrew Robertson, Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski and Diogo Jota to realise that, in Klopp, Liverpool have a manager who excels when it comes to turning good players into great ones.
Jesse Marsch built up a similar reputation for himself at Red Bull Salzburg – Erling Haaland made his name under the Wisconsin-born coach before joining Borussia Dortmund – but the chance to share a dressing room with Ramsay, Alexander-Arnold and co at Champions League finalists Liverpool may be an opportunity too good to turn down.
Will Calvin Ramsay turn down Leeds United for Liverpool?
The Athletic claims that Leeds have watched 18-year-old Ramsay closely. There is an acceptance at Elland Road, however, that Ramsay is likely to opt for Liverpool instead.
“At the end of the day, he is going there to get better and learn from the best. But it is also important if you go to these big clubs that you are patient,” says former Aberdeen ace Niall McGinn, pointing out that another exciting teenage defender, Connor Bradley, is finding first-team opportunities hard to come by at Anfield.
“He can’t think he will go there and play every week for the likes of Liverpool. I am sure there are four, five young lads pushing in the same direction.
“It will be tough for Calvin if he moves on. But you want to wish him all the best if he does.
“The thing for him now is just gaining as much experience as he possibly can and he’s done that over the course of the season with European games and playing in the Premiership.”
Ramsay, who will reportedly cost Liverpool a cool £6 million, contributed nine assists during a terrific breakthrough season that ended with the Scottish Football Writer’s Young Player of the Year award.
“There are not many right back at his age like him, doing what he does,” Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack tells the Daily Record.
“He is in the elite upper bracket, right up there, for a young right-back in Europe.
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