Former Old Firm star Steven Pressley believes a move to Celtic or Rangers is a possibility for Hearts defender John Souttar ahead of the January transfer window, speaking to Football Scotland.
When quizzed about Souttar’s future at Tynecastle last week, Heart of Midlothian boss Robbie Neilson was as clear as a 3,000-carat crystal.
But with Souttar set to become a free-agent next summer, the 25-year-old looks certain to leave the Edinburgh giants at some point in 2022, regardless of whether his departure occurs in January or July.
Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic have joined Glasgow neighbours Rangers in the race for his signature, as reported by the Scottish Sun.
It is understood that a whole host of second-tier clubs from south of the border are interested too, including Middlesbrough, Blackburn Rovers and a Stoke City side who already have Souttar’s younger brother Harry in their ranks.
Could Celtic or Rangers snatch John Souttar from Hearts?
“The Hearts fans that say ‘show the loyalty to the club’… when he’s finished at 35, will they be there to support him for the rest of his life? The answer is, and I can assure you of this, the answer is no,” says Pressley, who won Premiership titles with both Celtic and Rangers.
“For me, there’s two things about your career. The first thing is titles; How many titles and cups and trophies you win. And two; your family and your finances. These are all considerations.
“If you can leave Hearts for a much bigger salary and a place where you could win titles, then I think it’s a good consideration.
“Do I think (Souttar could join) Rangers or Celtic? Quite possibly. It depends on what opportunities he has down south.
“He’s played a lot of his career in Scotland. I would think he would have ambitions to play in the Premier League in England. If that’s the case, his route to that might be via the Championship first.
“The top Championship clubs could almost always pay higher salaries than Rangers or Celtic. I think it’s going to be very hard for Hearts to keep him.”
Reports recently suggested that Hearts would demand a minimum of £500,000 in the January window – though Neilson’s ‘huge bid’ claim casts some doubt on those reports.
Should he join Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Rangers, Souttar may be tasked with replacing either Connor Goldson or Leon Balogun. They too have just a few months left on their contracts.
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