John Souttar’s likely transfer destination has emerged following his surprise omission from the Rangers pre-season travelling squad, with interest mounting from south of the border.
According to the Rangers Review, attention in Govan is shifting rapidly toward trimming the squad after Cammy Devlin arrived as the club’s sixth signing of the summer transfer window.
Both Souttar and Brazilian striker Danilo remained at home in Scotland on Friday while manager Derek McInnes and the rest of the first-team squad flew out for an intensive week of warm-weather training in Spain.
The decision to exclude Souttar comes down to operational planning, with the 29-year-old centre-back no longer viewed as a fundamental part of McInnes’ core blueprint moving forward into the 2026-27 season.
Where does John Souttar rank among the best defenders in the Scottish Premiership?
He was handed a new Rangers contract earlier this year.
Souttar is attracting interest from England
Souttar recently returned to the Rangers training centre in Auchenhowie on Thursday following an extended post-tournament rest period after his involvement with Scotland’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad in North America.
However, his return to Glasgow is set to be short-lived. Having lost his regular starting place under Danny Rohl towards the end of last season, the former Hearts defender is heavily tracking a move to England.
With versatile defender Ben Godfrey already through the door on loan to reinforce the central defensive spots, the Ibrox hierarchy are now actively scouring the market for a left-sided centre-back to fill the gap Souttar’s imminent exit will leave behind.
Great clearing of the decks at Rangers
Souttar is not the only high-profile figure left packing his bags in Glasgow. Danilo has similarly been left behind as the club fields widespread transfer enquiries.
The Brazilian forward, whose Ibrox career has been heavily plagued by constant injuries, has emerged as a firm target for clubs in South America, the Netherlands and Cyprus.
Rangers are entirely comfortable with their frontline options, bolstered by the likes of Lawrence Shankland, Youssef Chermiti and Bojan Miovski, leaving Danilo completely surplus to requirements.
Rangers take on Kaizer Chiefs in a pre-season friendly on Sunday…
Which players would you like to see featuring?
As McInnes integrates new signings into his tactical layout under the Spanish sun, the mandate from the boardroom is simple: clear the docks.
Souttar’s shocking exclusion from the flight to Spain is the clearest indicator yet that his likely destination lies down south as his Ibrox career draws to a close.
