Sheffield United have clarified their transfer position on John Souttar as the Rangers defender finds himself in a difficult spot at Ibrox after being left out of pre-season action once again.
Souttar was notably left behind when Derek McInnes’ squad travelled to Spain for their pre-season training camp earlier this month, a decision made specifically to allow the 29-year-old time to resolve his footballing future.
However, despite returning to squad training at Auchenhowie, Souttar was once again nowhere to be seen on Sunday, 26 July, as Rangers played out a 0-0 pre-season draw against West Ham United, raising further questions over his place in McInnes’ immediate plans.
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Sheffield United transfer stance revealed
Speculation had linked Sheffield United with a potential raid for the elder Souttar brother as Chris Wilder scours the market for central defensive reinforcements.
There were claims that the Blades are leading the race to sign the Scotland international amid competition from Leicester City.
However, local reports from The Sheffield Star on Monday, 27 July, have put an end to rumours of an impending bid, clarifying that Bramall Lane decision-makers are not pursuing the Ibrox defender.
Instead, their entire focus is directed towards securing his young brother, Harry Souttar, who has a £10million price tag at Leicester.
Although the South Yorkshire club were interested in Souttar during his time at Hearts, they have no plans to rekindle that interest now.
Snubbed again as Rangers look to offload
While a potential move to Sheffield United is off the table, Souttar’s situation at Ibrox remains increasingly precarious.
Having missed out on the pre-season tour to Spain to sort out a transfer away, a deal is yet to materialise.
While he has rejoined his teammates for sessions at Auchenhowie, McInnes opted not to include him in the matchday squad for Sunday’s goalless draw against West Ham.
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Having failed to feature in any of Rangers‘ warm-up fixtures so far, Souttar appears to have fallen down the defensive pecking order as the Scottish Premiership season opener against Dundee United rapidly approaches.
With Sheffield United ruling out a move and match minutes proving hard to come by during pre-season, Souttar finds himself at a critical career crossroads.
Unless a fresh suitor emerges before the transfer deadline, the 29-year-old faces an uphill battle to reclaim his place in the Rangers starting line-up.
It remains to be seen if another EFL Championship club like West Ham could enter the fray for the former Hearts ace.
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