Former Rangers ace Derek Ferguson has urged Aberdeen's Scott Wright to stay put this season as he would be nothing more than a fringe player at Ibrox.

The Dons attacker has been linked with a move to Gers with manager Steven Gerrard already admitting he is keen on the player. Derek McInnes has also accepted that Wright will eventually move on, but there has been talk of a potential pre-contract as well as a possible fee for the deal to go through this month.

Ferguson, though, believes Wright has far more chance of playing week in week out at Pittodrie and a switch now would only serve to hinder his progress as he would struggle for game time. And that's why he wants the player to remain, even if just for now, with McInnes and Dons.

"He's a talented boy, 23 years old but he's not played a lot of football," Ferguson said of Wright. "He's started this season pretty well and I think it'd be a disappointment, not just for the manager McInnes but for a lot of Aberdeen fans. He's been brought through the academy, a lot of time and effort has went into Scott and when it's coming to fruition that you're just starting to see the benefits of all that hard work, it looks as if he's going to leave and it could be in this window.

"If it does I think there's a wee deal to be done, there's the boy [Greg] Stewart who can't beak into the first-team or squad at times, he might end up back at Pittodrie, something might happen with McCrorie. The one thing about Scott, the talent is there, there's no question about that. But for him he needs to get games under his belt and if he goes to Rangers will he play? I don't think so.

"He'd be a squad player so he has a big decision to make and I'm not so sure. I think the best bet would be to leave him at Aberdeen until the end of the season to get more games under his belt which would be beneficial and then come to some sort of agreement. But his talent is not in doubt."

The likes of Ryan Kent and Joe Aribo would be ahead of Wright in the Ibrox pecking order should he potentially move down the line, but Ferguson believes Rangers' interest in the winger could potentially signal an outgoing at the club.

Kent has been on Leeds United's radar in recent times and Wright could be seen as a long-term replacement for the ex-Liverpool man. "Scott is not a young man he's 23, I've always said when you hit the ripe old age of 21 don't class yourself as a youngster, you're a man," Ferguson added on Open Goal. "It's the amount of games, he's had injury problems he's been on loan, he needs games under his belt. If he goes to Rangers will he go into that first XI? I don't think so. I think he'll be a bit-part player.

"The other thing is we don't know what's going on behind the scenes at Rangers. Is someone coming in for Ryan Kent? There's been interest from Leeds, maybe they'll look at him as a replacement. If he goes to Rangers I don't think he'll get that game time. Maybe there's a team in England that'll interest him. He's going to go somewhere that he'll play, that's for sure."