Attention has switched to other targets now though, and 20-year-old Paterson could be on his way to Glanford Park after excelling in a loan spell at Grimsby last season, in which scored six goals.
The Iron face competition from Cheltenham and the Mariners for his signature after he turned down a new deal at the Britannia Stadium.
"I would like to think we are in with a good shout of bringing him (Paterson) to Scunthorpe. He wants to come, but nothing is final until pen has been put to paper," Adkins told the Scunthorpe Telegraph.
"I also know there has been a lot of interest in him from a lot of other clubs - including several in the Championship.
"Martin is one of a number of players we have monitored this summer.
"Another is Leon Best of Southampton but we quickly learned he was lined up to go to another club on finances that we could not get anywhere near."
Best made his name in a loan spell at Yeovil last season, for whom he notched ten goals in 14 league starts.