Hearts centre-back John Souttar is set to snub Rangers and Celtic in favour of a move to England, according to reports in the Scottish media.
The 25-year-old, who has four caps for Scotland, will be able to speak to foreign clubs from December 1st, with his current contract set to expire at the end of May next year.
Rangers have been tracking Souttar for a number of years, but his performances this season have attracted a lot of attention, not only from Old Firm rivals Celtic, but also English Championship teams.
No less than nine clubs have registered their interest so far, including Birmingham, Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool, Luton, Middlesbrough, Millwall, QPR, Preston and Stoke City.
It is not known who the favourites for Souttar’s signature currently are but the fact that his brother Harry plays for Stoke may well give the Potters the edge.
As for Rangers, signing a centre-half is only likely to be a priority once it becomes clear where Connor Goldson’s future lies. The 28-year-old is also out of contract in the summer.
