Rangers set to seal Alfie Hutchison transfer in new Hearts update
Rangers are on the verge of completing a deal to sign highly-rated youngster Alfie Hutchison from Hearts, according to the Hearts Standard.
The Edinburgh club news site reported that the young attacker was on his way to Ibrox after the Gers won a race for his signature featuring several clubs in both England and Scotland.
Due to his age, Rangers will have to pay Hearts a compensation fee to ratify the transfer, with Hutchison expected to slot straight into the Ibrox youth ranks.
Hutchison choosing Rangers, over several interested sides in the English Premier League, is seen as a considerable coup for the Light Blues’ academy.
Rangers rebuild spanning every level at Ibrox
Philippe Clement is unlikely to call on the 15-year-old next season, but his signing for the academy shows that Rangers’ squad rebuild is taking place across multiple fronts this summer.
With four players over the age of 30 departing when their contracts expire at the end of June, the signing of a highly-sought youngster half that age is a clear message that the Belgian is building for the future.
Clement’s only first-team signings so far this summer, Jefte and Oscar Cortes are young themselves, and though it’ll be some time before Hutchison plays alongside them, building a team ethos around young players could galvanise a squad which wilted towards the back end of last season.
Experienced heads like John Lundstram and Borna Barisic couldn’t keep up Rangers’ form as their prospects fell flat at the final hurdle, but with the youth-first approach that Clement is taking this summer, expect a fresh-faced side that is ready to take on all challengers come the start of the new campaign.
In other Rangers news, an Ibrox-linked defender may fail his medical as transfer news has emerged from the club this past week.
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