Lewis Ferguson’s agent has primed Aberdeen to prepare for a £3.5million bid from Italian club Cagliari.
The Serie A strugglers sent two representatives to watch the Scotland midfielder score a brace of penalties in a 3-1 win over Hibs on Saturday.
Ferguson, 22, has been identified as a ready-made replacement for Uruguayan midfielder Nahitan Nandez, whose season is in doubt after knee ligament damage and is expected to leave the club this summer.
‘Cagliari have been tracking Lewis carefully for 18 months,’ McMurdo told Sportsmail.
‘Had they sold Nandez in January, then I think it would have happened.
‘They were in contact with Aberdeen last week over sending two representatives to the game.
‘I organised the trip and Aberdeen looked after them very well.
‘I then had a four-hour meeting with the two men in Edinburgh on Saturday night and they are very keen.
‘They were very impressed with Lewis’ performance against Hibs.
‘They met him for a few minutes to say hello and they were very impressed with him as a person, as well.’
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Named in Steve Clarke’s squad for Scotland’s forthcoming friendlies against Poland and then Wales or Austria, Ferguson submitted a written transfer request last season after Aberdeen branded an offer from Watford ‘insulting’.
‘At the end of this season, Lewis will have two years left on his contract and, now it’s running down, they have to be realistic in what they are asking for the player.’