Rangers: Emmanuel Fernandez display proves John Souttar future is not as clear as first thought
Rangers look to have a serious defensive conundrum on their hands next season.
Experienced centre-back John Souttar was recently handed a new contract until May 2027, and the Ibrox club hold the option to extend his deal by a further 12 months.
Fresh from penning his fresh terms, Souttar declared that the Light Blues are set for an “exciting” future. The only problem is that he may not play much of a part in it.
Danny Rohl opted to bench him for Gers’ last three matches before the international break, a controversial decision that has ultimately reignited his side’s Premiership title push.
As a result, Souttar may be forced to reevaluate his future at Rangers.
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John Souttar’s Rangers dilemma laid bare again
With Emmanuel Fernandez and Nasser Djiga as the new first-choice centre-back duo, Gers have conceded just one goal in their past three matches.
Before that, they had shipped eight goals in their previous five games, with Souttar culpable for this leakiness. Indeed, his growing list of mistakes will deeply concern Rohl.
| Emmanuel Fernandez | Statistic | John Souttar |
| 21 | Appearances | 22 |
| 9 | Clean sheets | 5 |
| 1.8 | Tackles per game | 1.2 |
| 1.4 | Interceptions per game | 0.4 |
| 3.9 | Aerial duels won per game | 3.3 |
The 29-year-old arrived in Govan from Hearts in 2022 and has made 130 appearances in all competitions, while also earning 22 caps for the Scottish national team.
There is no doubt that Souttar has been a loyal servant, and it is a crying shame that his only taste of silverware to date was winning the League Cup in 2023-24.
But Fernandez’s impressive performances and Djiga’s uptick in form now leave the Bears veteran third-choice, raising questions over what role he will have next season.
Fernandez scored on his first start for Nigeria on Tuesday night and hasn’t put a foot wrong for club or country during an impressive purple patch, which has attracted plenty of interest.
However, Ibrox figures will be determined to keep the 24-year-old this summer, while Djiga has also given them a decision to make, with his loan deal from Wolves expiring in June.
The big question, then, is whether Souttar is willing to stick around and rely on ifs, buts and maybes. At present, Rohl simply can’t give him the guarantees he will want.
That means that Rangers face a harsh reality over Souttar – and there is no easy fix.
Not all bad news for Souttar
While he ponders over his future, he will also know that there is a spot in Rangers’ squad as long as he wants it. His unwavering loyalty means he deserves at least that.
He could also be in line to inherit the captain’s armband with James Tavernier out of contract at the end of the campaign, which would signal his continued importance.
Out of Gers’ nine defenders, just Dujon Sterling, Tuur Rommens and Fernandez were guaranteed to still be on the books next season before Souttar joined the small group.
49ers Enterprises were determined to hand him a new deal after months of uncertainty, but it will fall to both Souttar and Rohl to find a solution to his dilemma that works for everyone.
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