Rangers capture of John Souttar the ‘steal of the century’ – Levein
Hearts defender John Souttar will join Rangers next season and his former coach Craig Levein thinks Giovanni van Bronckhorst has got a bargain.
The 25-year-old will move to Ibrox when his current contract at Tynecastle expires at the end of the 2021-22 season with the Gers not having to pay a penny to their rivals.
Levein, who is an icon at Hearts, coached Souttar through his toughest times and is glad to see his prodigy earn a big chance at Rangers.
“It’s the steal of the century,” Levein told the Scottish Sun.
“But I don’t think anyone can blame John for making this decision given everything he’s been through.
“In a way, I’m glad he’s gone to Rangers too from the point of view that he’ll have the chance to win some trophies.
“I’ve had a couple of conversations with him and it was definitely a big decision for him to make. But I think he’s made the right one.”
The perfect Goldson replacement
There is still a possibility that Souttar could don the Rangers blue before next season if the club decides to pay a fee to Hearts this month.
However, there isn’t a real desperate need to exorcise this option with the Light Blues six points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
van Bronckhorst’s side has the second-best defensive record in the division having conceded just 14 goals, two more than second-placed Celtic.
The current backline the Dutchman deploys has a great understanding of each other’s game and Souttar being added at a crucial time in the season could cause unwanted disruption.
It would therefore be best to wait for the summer and get him for free rather than splashing the cash to get him six months earlier.
Especially with Connor Goldson still at the club despite interest from Aston Villa, managed by former Gers boss Steven Gerrard [Birmingham Mail].
If Goldson does leave in the summer to reunite with Gerrard, then Souttar can come in then and take on the same role as the Englishman in a seamless fashion.
In other Rangers news, the BBC could face a multi-million-pound defamation charge over their Rangers documentary.