Juventus step up their interest in Bologna's Scotland midfielder Lewis Ferguson

Juventus have stepped up their interest in Lewis Ferguson — with Aberdeen poised for a £2million-plus windfall if the Scotland international moves on from Bologna in January.

Long-standing admirers of the midfielder, the Turin giants are now said to be willing to table a £17.5m offer to take the player in the next transfer window.

The 24-year-old former Dons and Hamilton star has been a runaway success in Serie A since switching from the Granite City in 2022.

Previously linked with a move to Rangers, the club where his father Derek and uncle Barry played, Ferguson was snapped up for just £3m.

And his steady improvement at Bologna means Juventus are now willing to fend off interest from other major clubs, including AC Milan and Lazio, to land the 10-times capped star.

If the deal goes through, Aberdeen would stand to make just under £2.2m because of a 15 per cent sell-on clause they inserted on the profit Bologna make on any future sale.

Led by Thiago Motta, Ferguson’s side currently sit eighth in the Italian league but are just three points off a Champions League place.

The midfielder recently netted his 10th goal in Serie A — putting him level with the legendary Denis Law as the top-scoring Scot in Italian football history.

Speaking recently to Mail Sport while on Scotland duty, Ferguson insisted that ongoing speculation over his future did not faze him.

‘It’s nice to hear and see, whether it’s online or in the newspaper,’ said the player, who is contracted at Bologna until 2027.  ‘But, genuinely, it doesn’t affect me in any way.

‘I don’t think too much about it. I try to focus on what’s in front of me. While I’m here, I’ll be fully focused on Scotland and, when I go back over to Bologna, it will be the same.’