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James Wilson pursuit is latest example of long-term transfer strategy at Rangers
Rangers have made an official approach to Hearts youngster James Wilson as Michael Beale turns his attention towards investing in youth.
As reported by the Daily Record, Rangers officials sent a letter to Hearts this week informing them that they intend to speak to 15-year-old Wilson about moving to Ibrox.
Wilson, who plies his trade as a striker, can sign professional terms when he turns 16 next month and his impressive work at Hearts has drawn attention from the Premier League as well as from Rangers.
But the official approach made by Gers puts them in the driving seat to attract yet another promising young star to the club.
Investing in youth has been a major part of the club’s transfer strategy in the last 12 months, with Lancelot Pollard joining from Aberdeen, Greig Allen from Hearts and Bailey Rice coming in from Motherwell.
Rangers have also made moves to bring in exciting prospects from England in the shape of Millwall’s Zak Lovelace, Charlie McCann from Manchester United and Wimbledon’s Archie Stevens.
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Wilson could join the lengthy list of future stars settling in at Ibrox, and Beale’s decision to invite Lovelace and McCann into first-team training recently will only spur the youngsters on even more.
After Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s complaints in the Champions League that Gers cannot compete with financial powerhouses [Scottish Daily Express], it seems the club’s solution is to invest in young players and then push them through to the first team or sell them on for profit.
Rangers have already had success doing the latter through Nathan Patterson who joined Everton for £16million in January. [Sky Sports]
With Beale now at the helm – and his brilliant track record of developing young players – he can expertly coach the youngsters and help them fulfil their potential. Rangers are effectively piecing together a production line of promising young stars and it’s a strategy that could reap great rewards in the future.
In other Rangers news, Gers launch a bid to sign Hearts starlet James Wilson which leaves the Jambos powerless