Who is key Aberdeen January transfer window target Liam Morrison?

Aberdeen have made Liam Morrison a key target in the January transfer window – but who is he?

The 22-year-old Scot – who has never played professional senior football in his homeland – is the Dons top centre-back target, and they hope to bring in the vital centre-half cover ahead of Saturday’s Premiership clash with Livingston.

Interim boss Peter Leven was forced to deploy midfielder Dante Polvara alongside Jack Milne at centre-back in Sunday’s 1-0 Scottish Cup win over Raith Rovers – with Milne’s regular partner, Dutchman Mats Knoester, ill.

Aberdeen are threadbare in the centre of defence due to long-term injuries suffered by Latvia captain Kristers Tobers and Gavin Molloy, as well as loanee Alfie Dorrington’s recall by Tottenham Hotspur.

A new centre-half was confirmed as one of Aberdeen’s winter window priorities by The Press and Journal on Friday.

And the Reds have now locked their sights on landing Queens Park Rangers stopper Morrison on loan for the rest of the season – with talks between the clubs in progress as sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel looks to secure his man.

Morrison is highly rated at QPR and contracted to 2028, so the potential of an option for currently managerless Aberdeen to buy him at the end of the campaign looks uncertain.

Scot Morrison came through at Bayern Munich

Saltcoats native Morrison was with Scotland’s Rangers and then Celtic as a youth, before being poached by German giants Bayern Munich in August 2019.

In Bayern’s youth set-up, he was coached by legends of the game, including World Cup record-scorer Miroslav Klose.

However, having not broken through the Bayern first-team, Morrison’s first pro appearances came on loan at English League One Wigan Athletic during the 2023/24 season, before he made a permanent move to QPR in summer 2024.

At QPR, Morrison has made 31 Championship appearances over the past two campaigns, and has played for Scotland up to under-21s level.

But, with new centre-back competition in London in the form for £5million signing from Southampton, Ronnie Edwards, Morrison is said by the Daily Record to be keen to guarantee his game-time over rest of the season – to put himself in the shop window for a senior Dark Blues call-up ahead of this summer’s World Cup.

Aberdeen are also looking for a central defensive midfield and striker in a January transfer window where they are keen to also continue trimming their bloated squad – though Finland’s Jasse Tuominen and Agon Sadiku are not understood to be on the Dons’ radar.

[Source: Press and Journal]