Aberdeen are braced for an opening bid from Liverpool for Calvin Ramsay.
And the Reds will put £3.5million on the table this week as they step up their interest in the right-back.
Jurgen Klopp's side have been keeping tabs on Ramsay since the beginning of last season as they look for cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Now the Premier League giants are now ready to harden up their interest with a big-money offer.
Liverpool are willing to put significant cash on the table with big add-ons worked on top of any initial fee – especially if he were to manage a breakthrough into Klopp’s first team.
Ramsay has previously namechecked Liverpool and has never hidden his desire to land such a move if it became reality.
English rivals Leeds United are also keen and there remains interest from across Europe but Anfield would be the 18-year-old’s preferred destination.
Liverpool see the Scottish Football Writers’ Association young player of the year as one for the long-term and an understudy to Trent Alexander-Arnold.
But they won’t be held to ransom and instead it will be up to Aberdeen to see if they can strike an agreement.
The funds would also help Aberdeen manager Jim Goodwin in his summer rebuild.
Aberdeen turned down multiple offers from English and European clubs in the January window.
Bologna put a £3.8m deal on the table but Aberdeen knocked it back because it was an initial loan with the fee paid in the summer if the club remained in Serie A.
The Liverpool offer will be guaranteed, hard cash and will dwarf the previous transfer record the Dons received from Nottingham Forest for Scott McKenna.
Aberdeen are set to see their coffers boosted by another £1million after Forest won promotion to the English Premier League.
Celtic are also watching Conor Barron while Goodwin has previously admitted there could be an offer for Scotland cap Lewis Ferguson as well.
Meanwhile, Richie Byrne knows exactly why Aberdeen boss Goodwin is weighing up a move for Celtic’s Liam Scales.
The former Aberdeen and Dunfermline defender said: “He is a very good player. He has a very good left foot.
“He has good distribution and he is a very good but versatile defender. He can play left-back, centre-half or even in midfield as he has shown at Celtic.”
