Hearts and Scotland star John Souttar is set to snub offers from Rangers and Celtic and wants to move to England when his Tynecastle contract ends in the summer – according to a report.
The Daily Record claim that the Jambos stalwart has his eyes set on a move south of the border, despite the Gorgie side wanting to keep him in Edinburgh and the Old Firm wanting to take him across the M8 to Glasgow.
Scotland and Hearts defender John Souttar could be heading for the EFL. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group via Getty Images)
Stoke City, Blackburn Rovers, Millwall, Middlesbrough, Luton, Queen’s Park Rangers, Birmingham, Blackpool and Preston have all been credited with an interest in the former Dundee United star – with his brother Harry currently plying his trade with Stoke.
With his contract up in the summer and the defender seemingly looking to move, Hearts may well decide to try and cash in when the transfer window opens in January and avoid losing the centre-back for free.
Souttar has a lengthy injury history that could pose a hurdle to any move down south but after recovering from the third Achilles rupture of his career, Souttar looks to be back to his best this season.
His performances for Hearts have been a massive part of the Jambos fantastic start to the season and he was more than deserving of his call-up to the Scotland squad for the most recent set of internationals.
At only 25, Souttar likely sees this as his best chance to move to England and follow his brother south of the border.
If Souttar does leave Hearts in January, former side Dundee United will be entitled to a percentage of any fee – and it would be a big gamble for the Jambos to let him leave without signing a replacement.
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