If a report from the Daily Record is believed to be true, in-demand Rangers teenager Rory Wilson is set to leave his boyhood club amid Premier League interest. The Gers offered him his first professional contract, but the 16-year-old striking sensation has made up his mind to leave the club with Aston Villa leading the race over a potential summer transfer.
The young centre-forward is a regular for the Rangers U18s. He scored the only goal this weekend in their derby win against Celtic, whereas his winning goal helped them clinch the Scottish Youth Cup.
Scotland Under-17 coach Brian McLaughlin believes that the youngster is ‘up there with the best in Europe’.
“If you look at a young player like Rory Wilson, playing up a year group, he’ll be looking forward to the challenge and it’s important that we all support each other and become better players.”
The gaffer hailed (as quoted by The Scotsman) Wilson’s scoring expertise as he is tipped to play a massive role in the young Scots’ European Championship run at the end of May.
Meanwhile, the teenage sensation has penned a six-figure deal with the Adidas sportswear and boots for the next four-and-a-half years. The German sports brand fended off interest from rival companies to have him on board. Moreover, he has signed up with the CAA Base agency, which represents the likes of Heung-min Son, James Maddison, Raphael Varane and Richarlison, among many other high-profile names.
A Massive Setback For Rangers
Rangers are likely to receive a development fee for their prized asset, but the amount will be minuscule based on the overseas rule. It’s a massive setback for the Glasgow giants, something that resembles Billy Gilmour’s Chelsea move 5 years back. The promising ‘number 9′ holds all the traits to follow the footsteps of his fellow countryman.
The Scottish talents are being scouted extensively by Premier League giants and Celtic, the Gers’ bitter rivals, also suffered a similar blow when Liverpool secured the services of Ben Doak back in March. Steven Gerrard, aware of Wilson’s potential, is ready to raid his former club once the season is over.
Rangers might have handed their homegrown prodigy a quicker route for first-team football. But the project at Aston Villa is also exciting as Gerrard has already promoted 18-year-old Tim Iroegbunam irrespective of winter signings. They are likely to undergo a busy summer; however, a decent pre-season might see him featuring for Villa U23s before staking a claim in the manager’s long-term plans.
