According to the reports from the Scotsman, Rangers are unlikely to land John Souttar in the early part of the transfer period as Hearts are willing to keep hold of him until the latter half of the window. The defender signed a new contract in January and is contracted to stay at the club until 2022.
It is clear that Hearts want to keep hold of him until the latter half of the transfer window so that they can extract more money from the prospective buyers. With the transfer deadline becoming an issue, the Jambos would be in a better position to negotiate then.
Why is this a blow for Gerrard?
Gerrard, on the other hand, would look to get his business done quickly in the transfer window as he needs to prepare his squad for the Europa League qualifiers which begins earlier than the league games. Rangers are set to lose Joe Worrall and Gareth McAuley in the next few days as their contracts are set to expire. The club had a massive clearout last season, and Connor Goldson and Nikola Katic will be the only central defenders left in Gerrard’s team.
Therefore Rangers would look to do their transfer business in the early part of the window whereas Hearts wants to delay it as much as possible.
Why is Souttar an ideal signing for Rangers?
The defender had an impressive campaign for the Jambos, and he gave a good account of himself even in the just gone by Scottish Cup finals against Celtic. The 22-year-old is considered as one of the best defenders in the Premiership, and he will be highly sought after his recent performances. English club Derby County were also recently linked with him.
Souttar is a good reader of the game, and he is committed in his defending. He has that physical strength to cope with the attackers, and he also can play out from the back. The 22-year-old is already a Scottish international, and he is going to be a long term option for his national side if he continues with his development.
Can Rangers get him?
It looks tough as of now, and the Gers need to look at other signings as Hearts are likely to play hardball. Craig Levein believed that the Rangers link was ‘usual crap’ when Souttar was linked with a move to Ibrox for the first time. The fact that he signed a contract just a few months ago makes it even harder for Rangers to get him until and unless they blow the Jambos out of the water with their offer.
