Ibrox Sources: Rangers bid to sign defender takes unexpected twist

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Published on:

28 May 2019, 1:30 am

Rangers will bide their time before making a formal move to sign Hearts defender John Souttar this summer, Football Insider understands.

Football Insider revealed at the start of this month that the Glasgow giants are keen to sign the Scotland international this summer amid competition from English Championship big guns Derby County.

Ibrox sources have told Football Insider that Rangers will wait until later in the window before making a bid for the centre-back, 22, as they have been told he is unlikely to make an early-summer move.

This unexpected twist means the Gers could lose out on the highly rated 6ft 3in colossus, but also means they can concentrate their early efforts on winning the race with English clubs to sign Oldham Athletic defender George Edmundson.

Steven Gerrard’s side are in the hunt to sign two new centre-backs this summer following the end of Joe Worrall's loan from Nottingham Forest and the expiry next month of Gareth McAuley's one-year contract.

Souttar has had an excellent campaign for Hearts, but his price tag is in the multi-million pound range as a result of his promise and the contract he signed in January that runs until June 2022.

The Tynecastle club are braced for offers for their prize asset but will not cave in easily following his impressive performance in Saturday's 2-1 Scottish Cup final defeat to Celtic.

In other Rangers news, it can be REVEALED that the club have scrapped plans to sign 23-year-old permanently due to the stunning emergence of an Ibrox man.

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