Rangers icon Barry Ferguson believes now is the right time for highly-rated nephew Lewis to leave Aberdeen.
The combative midfielder has been a smash-hit in the Granite City and Watford are chasing him after having a opening £1.2m bid turfed out.
Ferguson stunned Aberdeen on Wednesday evening when he handed in a transfer request as the newly-promoted Premier League side circle.
Aberdeen want their key man to stick around but his agent Bill McMurdo told Record Sport his client sees his future in England.
And the former Rangers skipper admits now be the right time for the Scotland U21 star to make the move south of the border.
Speaking to Go Radio, he said: "We spoke about it on Monday night and there is obviously quite a bit of interest and Watford had come in and made an offer for Lewis.
"I do think it's the right time for Lewis to make that next step.
"He's completed his apprenticeship doing really well at Hamilton then moving onto Aberdeen with Derek, I think he progressed as a player.
"He's coming up on 22 now so I think it's time as a player for him to make that move.
"Look, young players, footballers in general are advised by agents - whether it's the right advice or not to go in and hand a transfer request I'm not too sure if that's the right decision.
"Lewis is his own man, he is an old head on young shoulders, he's quite a responsible young man, he knows what he wants in life.
"He knows he wants a crack at the big time in football. We just need to see where it goes from there.
"I'm sure over the summer, there will be a lot of speculation, but I can see him moving on."
