West Ham told to pull plug on John Souttar deal - 'There's a reason Rangers want him gone'
West Ham United are among a number of English clubs considering a move to sign Rangers centre-back John Souttar this summer.
The 29-year-old is not part of the plans under new manager Derek McInnes and was dramatically left out of Rangers' squad for the pre-season training camp in Spain.
His availability has placed a number of clubs on alert both in the Scottish Premiership and across the EFL, with West Ham the biggest name to be linked with a move.
However, former West Ham scout Mick Brown warned Football Insider that Souttar is not the level of player Nuno Espirito Santo needs to add to his squad this summer.
The Scotland international has been inconsistent both for club and country over the last 12 months, leading to McInnes' decision to open the door for offers to arrive.
West Ham are deperate to achieve promotion from the Championship this season, and will need to add top-quality defenders to their squad to minimise any risk.
Could West Ham make a move to sign John Souttar?
Brown warned Football Insider in May that West Ham are facing a defensive "nightmare" and will scramble to sign at least two new centre-backs this summer.
Axel Disasi has returned to Chelsea following his loan spell, while the club are expecting Konstantinos Mavropanos to move on, with both players in need of replacing.
That has placed Souttar on their radar, but given the importance of securing promotion to the Premier League, signing cast-offs from Rangers cannot be their aim.
"Souttar is a player who, at one stage, a lot of people rated quite highly," Brown told Football Insider.
"I must admit I never really got it with him, he was an okay centre-half, but not much more than that, and he made far too many errors to ever be considered a top defender.
"Now it looks like Rangers have figured that out, the new manager doesn't want him, and so they're looking to move him on.
"He has got a bit of a reputation, Souttar, and he's a regular for Scotland so there is always going to be interest in him, whether that's in Scotland or in England.
"Premier League clubs won't go near him, he's not good enough, so really you're looking in the Championship and below.
"But if you're talking about West Ham, I would seriously warn them to steer clear, because he is not the type of defender who is going to make them any better.
"West Ham want to get back into the Premier League, they want to strengthen their squad and they want top-class players in every position to give them the best chance.
"Souttar is not one of them, there's a reason Rangers want him gone, so what makes West Ham think he's the answer to their prayers?
"I would be very surprised if he ended up at West Ham, because there are a number of players better than him who they could and should be going after."
Why are Rangers aiming to sell Souttar?
Rangers are looking to move in a new direction following the arrival of McInnes, with a major refresh of their squad already underway in the transfer window.
The Ibrox club have already signed seven players this summer and have let seven go, with significant changes underway, and Souttar looks set to be the next out of the door.
Football Insider revealed on 14 July that Rangers are planning to sign a new centre-back first, which would then trigger Souttar's exit as he is not part of their plans.
McInnes' side have already signed Ben Godfrey on loan, who is likely to play at centre-back despite his versatility, and plans are underway to land a left-sided defender.
Another addition will clear the path for Rangers to accept offers for Souttar, having already decided that he is not part of their plans for the season.