It says a ton about how significantly Lewis Ferguson has occur in Italy these very last 18 months that current one-way links to Juventus and Lazio have occur as no surprise.
Rumours of a €20million (£17.4m) offer getting regarded in Turin coincided with studies declaring the previous Aberdeen star experienced caught the eye of Maurizio Sarri in Rome.
In truth, pretty considerably each and every club in Serie A would adore to have the 24-year-outdated Bologna and Scotland midfielder in their ranks proper now.
A excellent begin to time 2023-24 has manufactured Ferguson 1 of the most sought-after players in Italy and has meant speculation is unavoidable — irrespective of the greatest efforts of his club mentor Thiago Motta.
Motta final thirty day period pleaded with journalists to maintain a lid on their exhilaration about the player just after his standout functionality in a 2-2 draw with Inter.
Lewis Ferguson has promptly come to be 1 of the most sought-soon after gamers in Italian soccer
The Scotland international has experienced a scintillating start off to the 2023-24 campaign with Bologna
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‘We should go away him concealed away, because he’s a participant of the highest level,’ stated the manager.
‘He appreciates how to play, how to protect, he has a very good mentality, he can rating targets. But, from today onwards, I really do not want to converse about him any far more. I would like to keep him in this article for a long time…’
That could demonstrate to be a tough activity. With each passing week, Ferguson’s contribution to a talented Bologna facet is turning into more difficult and more durable to dismiss.
As a single headline in the Italian press place it: ‘Half of Europe wants him.’
The figures alone are remarkable. From his midfield berth, Ferguson has a few targets and a few helps now this time.
His past strike drew him amount with Denis Law as the leading-scoring Scot in Serie A record with 10 objectives in general — the same variety the famous Regulation Gentleman generated in the course of his 1961-62 marketing campaign at Torino. First rate organization to be in.
There have been a great deal of spotlight reel times in the large online games, too. There was a properly-taken winner from Lazio, a strike from Juventus, a brace of assists in opposition to Inter.
But it is people who have been there in particular person — seeing him week in, 7 days out — who have been most amazed with his development considering the fact that arriving from Pittodrie in July 2022.
Ferguson has grow to be a key participant for Motta, earning more minutes than any other outfield participant in the squad.
The 24-yr-previous has a few plans and two assists from his 12 Serie A appearances this term
His tactical intelligence, perform fee, connection-up play and affect in the remaining third aided Bologna rack up a impressive 10-match unbeaten operate at the start out of this season. Ultimately, even Motta will have to give up on attempting to conceal his rising star from covetous eyes.
‘Lewis functions working day and evening, he recovers properly, he justifies every thing for the work that he places in,’ Motta explained in November.
That amazing operate ethic has driven Ferguson’s good results. Empoli’s Nicolas Haas is the only participant in Serie A to have coated extra ground than the Scot this time.
A fantastic motor alone is not sufficient to excel, however. Tactical savvy is king in Italy and Ferguson’s means to embrace the nuances of the match has helped him thrive.
His debut year took area throughout a complicated 12 months for the club. Sinisa Mihajlovic, a mentor famed for endorsing youthful gamers — and who introduced in Ferguson following launching fellow Scot Aaron Hickey into the limelight — was sacked 5 video games into the 2022-23 marketing campaign.
The Serb experienced been battling leukaemia and his demise at the age of 53 in December last year was a devastating blow in Bologna and outside of.
Motta was installed in September 2022, with his remit to steady the ship in his 3rd crack at Serie A management right after spells with Genoa and Spezia.
The former Italy global shortly started off to develop a fluid, tactical, sophisticated facet in which Ferguson’s flexibility came to the fore as he was deployed across midfield, on the wing and even up entrance.
Three ambitions in a few online games to complete the marketing campaign with a whole of 7 was emphatic evidence of how he had enhanced above his 1st year. That has ongoing this time.
Off the pitch, Ferguson has embraced everyday living in Italy. He signed a new deal having him up to 2027 over the summer season and has spoken of loving the lifestyle.
He’s also got to grips with the language, and experienced the self-assurance to conduct a dwell Tv submit-match job interview in Italian adhering to his winner in opposition to Lazio.
The former Aberdeen midfielder has been praised for how he ‘works working day and night’
His agent, Invoice McMurdo, informed Activity Italia this month: ‘He has an amazing partnership with Motta. Lewis has religion in the mentor and he is encouraging him mature as a player.
‘Bologna is the correct club for him, he was certain from the 1st working day we spoke about it… he’s incredibly pleased.’
So what of the speculation that now surrounds him?
Of the two clubs who could glance to exam Bologna’s take care of, Juventus are the facet in greater have to have of midfield reinforcements, with Lazio possessing signed three central midfielders in the summer season.
The Turin club have had a tricky handful of months to say the the very least. Very first, they have been booted out of Europe by UEFA for a year in the wake of a cash-gains circumstance that saw them deducted 10 details in Serie A previous period.
Then midfielders Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli been given doping and gambling bans respectively to rule them out for the rest of the period.
Nonetheless, Massimiliano Allegri has absent back to principles to make his Bianconeri aspect a brutally productive pressure.
The defensive soccer might be challenging to watch, but it is finding Juventus benefits.
Allegri has pushed his staff into second location in advance of Sunday’s ‘Derby d’Italia’ clash with league leaders Inter right after conceding just when in 7 game titles.
This outdated-university calcio would not automatically be a natural match for Ferguson. He has excelled at a Bologna facet that boast the fifth-greatest possession common and 3rd-most passes in Serie A. Juve, by distinction, are ranked 12th and 11th in individuals disciplines respectively.
Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus are in terrific have to have of midfield reinforcements in January
Ferguson advised The Athletic just lately that he likes the fact Bologna are ‘really fluid’ in their enjoy, with ‘everyone often moving… acquiring as substantial up the pitch as possible’.
He would not have that same kind of licence to roam at Juventus, so a different adaptation to his participate in would surely be necessary.
However, it’s straightforward to see why just one of the league’s toughest-doing the job players might have caught Allegri’s eye.
If and when Bologna do money in, a significant payday is anticipated. Ferguson was acquired from Aberdeen for £3m, but it would now likely take 6 or 7 times that payment to tempt the Rossoblu to provide a participant who Transfermarkt claim has extra than tripled in worth over the very last yr.
Just one thing is for sure. Motta might not be in a position to ‘hide him away’ any more, but Bologna will continue to place up a significant battle to keep a player now regarded as just one of the star gentlemen at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.