The 24-year-old Scottish midfielder talks about his desire to play in England
Historically, Italian football has never rhymed with Scottish players. In the 1980s, former Leeds star Joe Jordan experienced relegation with mighty AC Milan and Manchester United hero Denis Law certainly didn’t have a great experience at Torino, where he spent just one season at the start of the 60’s.
Although Graeme Souness enjoyed some success at Sampdoria in the mid-1980s, when the Liverpool legend scored a goal to help win the Italian Cup, there is little doubt that Bologna’s Lewis Ferguson is the most successful Scot in Italian football until today.
The midfielder, born and raised in Hamilton, south-east of Glasgow, is in his second season at the Italian club, of which he is now the captain, after having also learned to speak Italian. His performance has even sparked the interest of Juventus, who are considering him as a replacement for Paul Pogba.
Ferguson’s Serie A statistics
Flashscore
And who knows if it might be another season at Bologna for Ferguson, given that Thiago Motta’s team is having a great season, with fourth place meaning the Champions League for now.
“I am happy in Bologna. I was right to trust Aaron Hickey’s recommendation and sign with the club. However, at some unspecified time in the future, I see myself in the Premier League.” said the Scotsman to The National.
It is also no surprise that the Scot has also consulted his compatriot Aaron Hickey, who spent two seasons at Bologna before moving to Brentford in the English top flight in the summer of 2022.
If Juventus were to pursue Ferguson, however, it would not be a cheap solution, because with a contract until 2027, the possibility of playing the Champions League at Bologna and a constantly growing value thanks to his good performances, the Bolognese they will probably do everything to keep him.
“I always give Ferguson 10 and praise, not only for the important goals he scores, but also because he is a warrior who teaches his teammates”, Motta said of Ferguson, as reported by the Daily Record.
So far this season, the 24-year-old Scot has tallied six goals and four assists in 30 Serie A games and is one of the team’s stars alongside Joshua Zirkzee.
It remains to be seen, therefore, whether Bologna will play in the Champions League after the summer break, whether Ferguson will go to Turin to join Juventus or whether he will ultimately choose to return to Great Britain to play in the Premier League.
