Bebo Off To Derby Within 24hrs

Last updated : 30 May 2011 By Stand Free Ed

Chris Maguire2_14OUT-OF-CONTRACT Aberdeen striker Chris Maguire is on the verge of his dream move to Derby County with a medical set for the next 24 hours.

The 22-year-old Scotland international therefore looks set to leave Scotland for the English Championship with the compensation likely to be just under £400,000.

Maguire was involved in controversy last week when he requested to leave the Scotland squad to take a medical and finalise the deal; a request that was rebuffed by a clearly irritated Scotland boss Craig Levein.

However the player patched things up and made a substitute appearance in the Carling Nations Cup decider yesterday, and now it appears as though the transfer will go through in the coming 48 hours.

Dons boss Craig Brown said: "He'll have no bother passing [the medical] I'm sure and the transfer will go through. I think the compensation comes to just under £400,000. That's to be confirmed."

Brown has been resigned to losing Maguire for the last week, but he believes that the striker would have been better staying at Aberdeen.

He told BBC Scotland: "To be honest, I think another year in the Scottish Premier League would've done him good but obviously there's a lucrative contract on offer and of course his father and his girlfriend think it's quite glamorous, the prospect of playing in England.

"I gave him a good example. Jim O'Brien was doing exceptionally well at Motherwell a year ago and Jim went to Barnsley. When I look at the Barnsley team every week, he's very often on the bench and not a certain starter.

"It's not all glamour down south and I warned Chris but I think the lure of extra money and some of his pals like Barry Bannan playing down there makes it attractive for him.

"Their heads are turned and when they go away with the national team, they hear the fancy figures quoted from other players.

"It's very difficult to convince a young player that he'd be better to stay another year and I've no issue with Chris Maguire because he's a good lad.

"I do hope he's successful, he's got all the ability to be successful but whether he'll get the opportunity early enough in consistent games to give his talents the opportunity to flourish, that's the problem."