Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst allegedly isn’t closing the door on a move for Hearts ace John Souttar – but is he needed at Ibrox?
The Daily Record claimed earlier this week that Rangers initially wanted to sign Souttar under former boss Steven Gerrard.
According to that report, Van Bronckhorst hasn’t closed the door either – and Rangers could still move for Souttar.
If Rangers do want to sign Souttar, they need to make their move quickly. Blackburn Rovers are understood to have opened talks over a pre-contract agreement.
Souttar, 25, is inside the final six months of his Hearts contract and is seemingly eyeing a move away.
Rangers may well have an interest in Souttar, but their centre back situation is far from clear right now.
Souttar rumours continue amid Goldson uncertainty
Just like Souttar, Rangers defender Connor Goldson is inside the final stages of his contract.
News of a new deal for Goldson is thin on the ground, with many now feeling that the 29-year-old will leave Rangers next summer.
If Goldson does leave, he would need to be replaced. Signed from Brighton in 2018, Goldson now has almost 200 Rangers appearances to his name.
The rest of the Rangers back line isn’t exactly settled. Filip Helander is only just coming back from injury, Leon Balogun’s contract is up, Calvin Bassey isn’t a natural centre back, Nikola Katic’s long-term future is unclear after a loan return to Croatia and Jack Simpson has been linked away.
With so much uncertainty at the back moving forward, you can understand why Souttar is on the radar.
Souttar is cheap and knows the Scottish Premiership well, meaning he could slot in and offer depth at the absolute worst.
Van Bronckhorst finds himself in a waiting game over Goldson though, and this delay may mean Rangers aren’t quite in a position to fight Blackburn for Souttar just yet.
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