Stoke City & Plymouth Argyle join Rangers, Swansea and Cardiff in Aberdeen transfer chase | OneFootball

That is according to the Daily Record, who report that the Championship pair have put contract proposals forward to Barron as he nears the end of his Dons contract and gets ready to make a decision on his future next week.

Despite the 21-year-old being out-of-contract at Pittodrie, it would take paying a £500,000 compensation fee to Aberdeen to bring him to English football this summer.

The Potters are set to take on their first summer transfer window under Steven Schumacher and have already been active in the market with goalkeeper Viktor Johansson and centre-back Ben Gibson arriving from Rotherham and Norwich City respectively.

New Plymouth boss Wayne Rooney is yet to bring any new faces through the door, but the signing of Barron would be a huge boost to his side's chances of pulling away from the relegation zone in his first season at Home Park.

Connor Barron transfer latest as Plymouth Argyle and Stoke City join the race

According to the Daily Record, there is further interest in Barron from the Championship, with Swansea City and Cardiff City both also reportedly putting in offers for his services.

He is not only sought-after in English football though, with Scottish giants Rangers and Serie A outfit Hellas Verona each believed to have tabled contract proposals for the young midfielder.

It was believed that Italian sides Cagliari and Sassuolo were also keen on his signature, but they are now both out of the running due to respective relegations and managerial changes.

The Scottish Sun have claimed that Rangers are at the front of the queue to sign Barron, and it is understood that he could fly back from holiday for a medical and contract talks with the Gers as they look to increase their homegrown player quota.

Unlike any Championship clubs, the Ibrox outfit can offer the chance to play European football and compete for trophies, but might find themselves having to pay significantly more than the compensation fee, with any potential deal likely to go to tribunal.

Connor Barron reportedly wants Championship move

The 21-year-old has established himself as a key figure in the heart of the Dons' midfield, featuring regularly under Jim Goodwin and Barry Robson in the last two seasons.

He has won 11 caps for Scotland's U21 side since 2022, and is now on the periphery of Steve Clarke's senior team, but was not called up to his squad for the European Championships in Germany this summer.

With that in mind, it is believed that Barron's personal preference is to move to either England or overseas in the hope of boosting his chances of picking up senior Scotland honours in the coming years, according to the Scottish Sun.

That certainly gives the likes of Stoke and Plymouth's chances a huge boost, but Barron has a huge decision to make soon, with six clubs reportedly interested in securing his services.

He certainly fits the young, high potential profile that both clubs have already been linked to in this window - Fleetwood captain Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu has previously been touted with a move to the Potters, and Brighton's Marc Leonard has been supposedly attracting interest from Argyle.