Claudio Ranieri 'gives green light' for Aberdeen star Connor Barron to make dream Serie A transfer

former Leicester City title-winning boss Claudio Ranieri has given his approval for Cagliari to offer Aberdeen's Connor Barron a dream move to Italy.

The Scotland Under-21s midfielder has been showcasing exceptional form in recent weeks, including a standout performance in the Scottish Cup semi-final penalty shoot-out defeat to Celtic at Hampden. However, with his contract at Pittodrie set to expire at the end of the season, he is being tipped for a move to Serie A to join former Dons teammate Lewis Ferguson.

Italian reports suggest that Ranieri, who previously managed Chelsea, Juventus, Napoli and Atletico Madrid, has made securing Barron's services a high priority for the next season. The 72-year-old took over Cagliari last season, 35 years after his first stint at the club, and promptly led them to promotion from Serie B.

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He looks set to keep the Sardinian team in the top flight this season.

As revealed by Record Sport earlier this month, Barron, 21, is also attracting interest from Sassuolo, where his international teammate and fellow Scot Josh Doig plays. However, following a 5-1 defeat to Fiorentina, they are likely to be relegated to Serie B, leaving them five points from safety with just four games remaining, reports the Daily Record.

This situation has left Cagliari free to make their move.