Bojan Miovski looks set to depart Aberdeen this week, with Girona in advance talks to sign the striker.
It was reported on Wednesday that Genoa in Serie A had made the North Macedonian internationalist their number one transfer target. But despite their best efforts, it appears the lure of Champions League football has swayed Miovski to pursue a move to Spain instead.
Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo claim Girona are “very close” to getting the deal over the line and that Genoa are set to turn towards other attacking candidates.
Several clubs from across Europe have shown interest in Miovski this summer, including Southampton, who have recently been promoted to the English Premier League. While Aberdeen chiefs recently rejected a cheap bid of approximately £3 million from Espanyol.
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Perhaps coincidently, Aberdeen signed former Manchester City midfielder Ante Palaversa from Troyes for an undisclosed fee on Thursday.
The 24-year-old Croatian has penned a one-year deal at Pittodrie, with an option of a further two should he prove a success.
Both Troyes and Girona are owned by the City Football Group, and that deal may prove vital to the Dons maximising their income from Miovski's sale.
It's thought an initial offer from the La Liga side has been turned down, but talks remain ongoing around a potential sell-on percentage and a conclusion could be finalised in the coming days.
At this stage, Miovski would unlikely feature for Aberdeen in their Scottish Premiership clash against St Mirren on Sunday. And may even have put pen to paper on becoming a Girona player by then.
Palaversa, who once faced Lionel Messi while at his old club and cost Manchester City €7 million in January 2019, spoke to Red TV to explain why a switch to the north-east of Scotland felt right at this stage in his career after multiple injury setbacks.
“I feel that I need take this opportunity to prove myself," he said.
"I feel Aberdeen are a very optimistic club about everything. It is big club who want to have good results and that is something I want also. So that was the main reason for coming here.
“I knew this was the right move for me. I did speak with people at Manchester and we had a discussion before I made this decision. Now I can’t wait to get started.
“I am looking forward to meeting my new teammates. I played with Pape in Belgium and I spoke to him when I arrived.
"After that I moved about and played in a lot of different countries. The last few years I have found myself in some difficult situations with injuries and having played less minutes than I would have wished for. I am now looking forward to getting my career back on track and proving myself.
“I do feel stronger for the experiences I have been through, of course I have. It makes you stronger as a person and more determined.
“In every county, they have a different style of play. But by the end of the day, it just matters what you do. For example, my positioning when I am on the pitch. You adjust your game to the different styles. I have experienced a lot of different styles of football over the past four years. So hopefully I can adapt quickly to Scottish football.
“I am mainly a number six, a holding midfielder. I also play as a number eight. I think I see myself as a creative midfielder, I like the ball at my feet and I like to play football. My passing is one of my strengths. I am happy to play wherever the manager wants me to play, and do a job for the team. I come here to prove myself, to give 100% in training every day.
“I always just wanted to find a club, find a team where I play good and where I can help a team get good results. Hopefully I can go that here.
“I want to do my best for the team, for myself and for the supporters. I believe it will be a good season.”
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Meanwhile Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin commented: “Ante is a player with a strong pedigree so we are delighted he has opted to join us at Aberdeen.
“He will bring real quality to our midfield options with his technical ability.
“He has had a frustrating period in the last eighteen months however he is a player we believe has significant potential and we look forward to giving him the platform to rebuild his promising career.”
