Rangers appear to have missed out on Hamilton Academical starlet Josh McDonald with Leeds United feeling they have pulled off a ‘major coup’ luring the teenager to the Premier League.
In a week in which Victor Orta – Leeds’ director of football – paid with his job following a dreadful run of results, the Elland Road outfit’s recruitment record has come under the microscope.
But say what you want about a litany of overpriced, underperforming first-teamers. Leeds’ record when it comes to snapping up baby-faced up-and-comers speaks for itself. Wilfried Gnonto, Crysencio Summeville, Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood, Mateo Joseph and Sonny Perkins are already – or will soon become – excellent value-for-money additions.
And the Premier League strugglers are close to bringing one of Scotland’s most coveted teenagers south of the border too; Josh McDonald reportedly travelling to West Yorkshire on Thursday with a £150,000 deal on the verge of being completed.
That is according to Football Insider.
Rangers miss out as Leeds United agree Josh McDonald deal
Leeds, the report adds, have ‘beaten’ Rangers to the 16-year-old midfielder.
McDonald, who some scouts have labelled an ‘exceptional’ talent, is viewed as a big coup at Elland Road. Rangers are likely to be disappointed. Especially given that they sent scouts to watch the Scotland U18 international on a number of occasions.
McDonald would not have become an immediate part of Mick Beale’s first-team plans. But there will be understandable frustration at Ibrox as Rangers look set to miss out on taking one of the most promising homegrown talents around to the blue side of Glasgow.
Rangers have already been criticised in some quarters. Many suggesting that a club of their size and influence simply do not produce enough first-team prospects via their academy. The likes of Adedire Mebude, Billy Gilmour, Nathan Young-Coombes and Rory Wilson have all departed in recent times too.
“I don’t think Rangers bring enough young players through the academy,” former captain Barry Ferguson told Go Football Radio.
