No deadline day drama as Dons reject brazen £250k bid for Hedges

Aberdeen managed to fend off late interest from England for Ryan Hedges to keep their squad intact as the 2021 summer transfer window closed without incident at Pittodrie.

Blackburn Rovers chanced their luck with a late £250,000 bid for the Wales international on Monday, but considering the Dons had previously rejected a £400,000 offer from Ipswich Town and a £500,000 offer from another English Championship club in August, the Ewood Park offer was quickly dismissed.

The Dons are eager to tie down Hedges, who is out of contract next summer, to a new deal and talks are expected to intensify before the window reopens on January 1.

In another boost to Dons boss Stephen Glass, the summer-long saga of Lewis Ferguson concluded with the player remaining at Pittodrie.

The 22-year-old – who could make his Scotland debut in the World Cup qualifier in Denmark tonight – was the subject of two bids from Watford in May which led to him submitting a transfer request, but he too remains an Aberdeen player.

Winger Matty Kennedy, who had been given permission to speak to St Mirren and was attracting interest from Ross County, also remains at Pittodrie – despite not featuring for the Dons so far this season.

Glass had expressed his fear some players could leave following Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Ross County.

He said: “It’s not something I can control. I’d expect so though – I believe our players will be in demand.”

In the end it was a much quieter period than the extended deadline of October 5 last year – Greig Leigh and Gary Woods joined the Dons and Bruce Anderson was sent on loan to Ayr United on the final day of last season’s summer window.

Aberdeen spared themselves deadline day drama as they got their work done early with four new faces arriving at Pittodrie in the last week.

Loan arrivals Austin Samuels (Wolves) and Matty Longstaff (Newcastle United) were joined by new signings Marley Watkins and David Bates in a busy week for the Dons, with the quartet’s arrival at Pittodrie taking the number of new faces in Glass’s squad this summer to 11.

The Aberdeen manager is content with his work this month and is looking forward to the chance to gel his team together in the weeks ahead.

He said: “We’ve got good players in the building now, we’ve got players that are hungry to get better.”

Aberdeen players Ryan Hedges and David Bates.