Ross McCrorie, the 27-year-old midfielder at Bristol City, might be the next Scottish player heading for Italy. Udinese is looking closely at him and could be ready to put about £3.5 million on the table. Norwich City’s also been sniffing around, but right now the Serie A side seems the more serious option. They’re already close to wrapping up a deal for Lennon Miller from Motherwell for £4.75 million, and the idea is to bring both in as part of a push for a European spot this season.
McCrorie made the move to Bristol City in 2023 after three years with Aberdeen, and before that, he was at Rangers. He’s been on Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad too, getting the call-up for last year’s European Championship. With City, he played 26 games last season, scored five times. This year, he’s only featured once in the Championship so far, but it was a big one, a 4-1 win over Sheffield United where he scored and set up another.
Udinese stepping up their transfer moves
Udinese, under German coach Kosta Runjaic, already has a few names familiar to fans of British soccer. Keinan Davis, once at Aston Villa, is there, and so is Vakoun Issouf Bayo, who played for Celtic. Going after McCrorie fits the plan — blend players with some solid experience and others who still have room to grow, guys who can settle into Serie A football without too much fuss. Talks with Bristol City aren’t done, but the kind of fee being mentioned could be enough to get things moving.
Scottish presence growing in Serie A
Over the past few seasons, more and more Scottish players have been popping up in Italy’s top flight. Right now, you’ve got Che Adams, Josh Doig, Lewis Ferguson, Billy Gilmour, Scott McTominay… all playing there. If McCrorie and Miller both make the jump, it adds to that list and keeps the trend going, something people in Europe have started to notice.
Before heading south, McCrorie made 55 appearances for Rangers and 115 for Aberdeen. If this Udinese deal actually happens, he’ll be stepping into one of the toughest leagues on the continent and joining a club that’s looking for more than just staying up. It’s a shot at something bigger, and for a player at his stage, that could be huge.