Rangers could use Ross McCrorie as a makeweight to seal a move for Scott Wright in January.
The Ibrox club are interested in signing the Dons playmaker as his contract at Pittodrie runs out in the summer.
Derek McInnes revealed that Steven Gerrard had called him to let him know Rangers planned to offer Wright a pre-contract deal.
But Aberdeen would be willing to part ways with the midfielder this month to avoid losing him for nothing at the end of the season.
Any cash received for Wright may allow McInnes to add to his own squad this window, but it could crucially knock off the fee Aberdeen will pay Rangers to sign McCrorie, who is loan at Pittodrie this season, permanently in the summer.
McInnes said: "It’s the same with any of your players, particularly when you’ve got a player who is out of contract at the end of the season, it makes sense if we can try and get a good offer for him.
“We’ll look at that, but at the same time he’s not a squad player, he’s a player who has been prominent in the team this season.
“I said last week there won’t be players coming in. If someone moves — whether that’s Scott or someone else — that might change things.
“He is still here just now and I have to prepare a team for Livingston tomorrow with that in mind.
“But if someone leaves that might change things.”
McInnes was grateful that Gerrard gave him a heads up about the situation.
He added: "They came through the front door, which I’m grateful for really, rather than anything else.
“I spoke to Steven yesterday and there have been discussions at boardroom level, and they’ve let us know that he is a player that they would be keen on, on a pre-contract. As is their right, as it is any club’s right, and as it is Scott’s right.
“For me, he’s a key player in the team. Like everything else, in an ideal world, you’ll get a good offer for him from wherever, whether it’s Rangers or anyone else and we move on and we get something in return for all our work with Scott.
“He’s been with the club since he was eight and that would be the best case scenario for everyone.
“But at the same time, he’s a key player and if we don’t get a good offer, then he remains part of the team to try and achieve what we want to achieve.”
