Leighton Clarkson: Aberdeen face competition for Liverpool midfielder as Premiership rivals 'interested'

Aberdeen could face competition from Premiership rivals for the signing of Leighton Clarkson.

The midfielder spent the season on loan at Pittodrie, emerging as an integral part of the side which finished third and qualified for Europe. Celtic’s win over Inverness CT in the Scottish Cup means the club will go into the Europa League play-off and be guaranteed group stage football in the competition or the Conference League should they lose the tie.

Liverpool are willing to sell the 21-year-old following what was a breakthrough season for a player who has made three appearances for the first team and had a loan stint at Blackburn Rovers which amounted to seven games. Aberdeen are keen to bring him back to Pittodrie following a campaign which saw him score six goals and create nine. However, according to The Athletic “other Scottish top-flight clubs and a number of Championship teams” are also interested in signing him.

Clarkson hinted at an Aberdeen return moments after the team secured third with a 3-1 win over St Mirren, telling fans that he would see them in Europe. He then addressed his future in an interview with RedTV, Aberdeen’s in-house channel, saying he didn’t know what the future held.

“I’ve told agents and stuff ‘don’t even tell me about interest’, because I just wanted to get Europe for Aberdeen,” he said. “Now we’ve done that I can start thinking while I’m away on holiday. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. If everything was to be right – and a lot of it is out of my control – it’s a really high possibility that I could be (an Aberdeen player next season).”