Souttar lined up for ‘shock’ Rangers exit, ‘serious’ pay rise to be offered
John Souttar has been hotly tipped to depart Rangers this summer.
The 28-year-old was one of the shining lights from a hugely disappointing campaign for the Gers last time out, but with Russell Martin and his team now in place, he could be heading for the exit imminently.
Rangers are continuing to show an interest in Conor Coady, and have already bolstered the centre of their defence with the signings of Emmanuel Fernandez and Nasser Djiga.
Martin seems keen to build his own backline after taking the reins at Ibrox, and that could result in Souttar being shown the door before the new Premiership season gets underway.
Trabzonspor are offering Souttar a ‘serious’ upgrade on his Rangers contract
Trabzonspor have emerged as the likely candidate to land Souttar if he does leave Ibrox this summer.
The Turkish side have shown a strong interest in signing the Scottish defender, and are now thought to be preparing a concrete move for the Rangers man.
They are understood to be readying a bid of £850,000 for Souttar, as well as the offer of a hefty contract, which would provide a “serious upgrade” on his current Ibrox deal, according to the Daily Record (18 July).
Souttar’s former Hearts teammate Michael Smith believes that it would be a huge surprise if the centre half was allowed to leave Govan this summer.
“John (Souttar) is a great lad, and I thought he performed pretty well in a struggling team last season,” Smith told the Record.
“I’m not sure what the future holds for him, but at Rangers, you need people who know the league and he’s certainly one who can bring a lot of experience.
“He’s obviously a homegrown player too, which for a club like Rangers is vitally important.
“I think it would be a shock to me if they let him go anyway. For me, he’s still their best defender.
“I hope he does stay at Rangers because I know he loves it there.”
Souttar fits Martin’s style of football
Martin’s arrival at Ibrox has been controversial, with his struggles in the Premier League with Southampton serving as a high-profile mark against his name.
The 39-year-old will inevitably bring his expansive, free-flowing style of football with him to the Premiership, and that means he will desperately need centre backs who are comfortable with the ball at their feet.
The current links with Coady are perhaps an acknowledgement from Martin that he also needs better box defenders than he had during his Saints stint, but Souttar is somebody who excels in both aspects.
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The 16-cap international is capable of handling the ball in pressure situations in his own third of the pitch, and has also proven himself to be a consistent and reliable defender of the penalty area.
With that in mind, it seems surprising that there is a genuine possibility that he could be allowed to leave Rangers, especially for the fee that is being mooted.
It remains to be seen what the final decision on his future will be, but Souttar is surely someone who still has plenty still to give at Ibrox.
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