Rangers are reportedly keen on Rushian Hepburn-Murphy – but Aston Villa cannot afford let another young player leave the club.
According to the Daily Mail, Rangers are looking to snap up Aston Villa youngster Rushian Hepburn-Murphy on a pre-contract agreement during the January transfer window.
The Gers exploited a contract loophole to snap up Matt Crooks, Josh Windass, Jordan Rossiter and Joe Dodoo from English clubs, as Scottish teams only to pay a nominal compensation fee for an out of contract player in England under the age of 24.
Preston’s Daniel Johnson in action against Aston Villa
Mark Warburton’s men found that it was a smart way to add some quality to their squad at a low price, and they appear to be lining up a similar move as they pursue Villa youngster Hepburn-Murphy.
The 18-year-old attacker has come up through the ranks at Villa Park, but has made just three senior appearances for the club to date, and with an impasse in talks over a deal to extend his contract – which expires next summer – the Daily Mail claim that Rangers are keen to land him.
Rangers can offer that same pre-contract agreement in January, but Villa must now pull out all the stops to keep Hepburn-Murphy at the club having let so many young players leave in recent years.
Wolves’ Jordan Graham in action with Lewis Cook
Wolves winger Jordan Graham spent 12 years at Villa Park without making a first-team appearance, but earned rave reviews for Wolves last season, emerging as one of the Football League’s top young wingers before suffering a gruesome knee injury which has kept him out since January.
Graham is one of the talented youngsters Villa let go from their academy. Preston North End duo Daniel Johnson and Callum Robinson were mainstays of Villa’s youth and reserve teams before being flogged to the Lilywhites, where they have kicked on, developed, and even played a huge part in Preston’s 2-0 win over Villa last month.
Preston’s Callum Robinson
Villa should be placing more emphasis on developing their own young players, rather than solely relying on big-money signings like Ross McCormack and Jonathan Kodjia; two players who are keeping Hepburn-Murphy down the pecking order.
Graham, Johnson and Robinson’s performances away from Villa Park show that Steve Bruce’s men have to show a path from the academy to the first team instead of letting these players leave – and they must do everything they can before January to convince Hepburn-Murphy to stay with his hometown club rather than chase first-team football with Rangers.
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