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John Souttar has signed a pre-contract agreement to join Rangers next season. Of course, he could join Rangers as early as this month, depending whether both Hearts and Rangers can achieve a mutually acceptable transfer fee? I have waited until today's announcement to comment upon BBC Scotland's Tom Anguish's take on the probability of Souttar joining Rangers. Last Sunday, Tom spent thirty minutes talking Scottish transfers this January window. Souttar's proposed leaving of Hearts took up 15-20 minutes of the chat. He talked of three English Championship sides that had expressed interest; Stoke City had the advantage of his Brother playing there, Sheffield United had recent experienced Premiership status for three years and, Blackburn Rovers are on the cusp of promotion. According to Tom, the remuneration on offer at all three English clubs would be excellent. Tom thought English Premiership clubs should be involved too, he lionised Souttar as a player, "he's young, will only get better and, he could could be sold on again to a top side in two, three years for serious money". He was reminded by Host, Kenny Macintyre that Rangers were also vying for his signature? Tom was annoyed, he waffled again about Souttar's serious potential then, "it's reported Rangers are showing an interest, why isn't it two Scottish clubs"? Kenny intervened, "are you talking about involvement from Celtic"? Tom gave vent to his anguish and frustration, "of course, Souttar suits their model, buy cheap, sell later for a higher fee. The player will benefit from regular European football and be in constant domestic competition for honours, ------- (silence for a couple of seconds, then the afterthought) ----- and of course Rangers can offer that too". The very thought of Rangers involvement had Tom fulminating, now he has signed; I suspect Souttar's potential will be quickly dialed down? Tom has got to get a grip of his anguish. John Souttar has become another player you will NOT be interviewing, simply because he has signed for Rangers.

Can't argue with that mate, why am I not as excited as everybody else? maybe I just have nagging doubts about his injuries??. I really hope he comes in and does the business.

£10m? You’re having a laugh surely.

Going by the transcript of the interview on PQ website yesterday "Ange not seeking further January additions" .The sub text I find interesting. He acknowledged they approached McGree but admits "after initial discussions McCree decided to look elsewhere. 2 days ago it seemed a done deal? In December, it was also a given that Jota was being signed for £7.5m during this window. Now the sands have shifted slightly, Ange now states " .... with these things they will rumble on in the background. Nothing significant has happened." Really? Seems to me the biscuit tin may be a bit sparse of funds now they have splurged their kitty on the Japanese market. The article ended on a very sad note. It appears nobody loves Leigh anymore. Dundee no longer want him on loan, Sellick don't want him back! What a sad end for the little man who's been "Turning Japanese" for most of his career. Enough to give one The Vapors.

I am delighted with this signing. He has a lot to offer us and is Scottish. Can't wait to see him play for us.

And Barker!

Bairns and Dandies. After four weeks, Ernie had ridden his milk cart off into a setting sun. There was a battle between the New Seekers and Don McLean to succeed Bennie Hill as the UK's number one. No doubt boosted by the Coke advert, 'I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing' beat 'American Pie' to the top spot. The good old boys might have been drinking whisky and rye but the rest of the country was preparing warmer draughts as the National Union of Mineworkers(NUM) announced an official national strike, their first since 1926. Joe Gormley, Mick McGahey and, Arthur Scargill became both famous and notorious as they led a campaign for better conditions, a moratorium on pit closures and, an increase in pay. The Tory Government was headed by Prime Minister, Ted Heath and he announced a three part strategy to ensure power stations continued to receive supplies of coal. The RAF were ordered to set aside airfields to stock pile coal, Lord Wilberforce was instructed to lead an inquiry into Miners' pay and, COBRA was created to coordinate national and regional crisis. A wee aside, nearly forty years ago I spent a year as a Staff Officer preparing briefings for COBRA and COBRB. You never hear of the second one - Cabinet Office Briefing Room B(Bravo); because everyone wants to say they were briefed in Cabinet Office Briefing Room A(Alpha). The biting point on the strike would come in a month's time. More importantly, at Ibrox a crowd of 20,000 welcomed Falkirk on Saturday 8th January'72. The Chair of the Scottish Players Union, Alex Ferguson was included in the Bairns line up and, the former Ranger had already called upon all Trade Union members to support the official strike. The teams ran out, Rangers - McCloy, Jardine, Mathieson, Greig, Jackson, Smith, McLean, Johnston, Stein, A MacDonald and, I McDonald. Falkirk - Rennie, Abel, Jones, Bruce, Markie, Gibson, Hoggan, Ferguson, Somner, Shirra and, Setterington. The People versus the Steeple was finished in ten minutes, Greig opened the scoring on the 2nd minute and Bomber Jackson added another from a corner on the ninth. Keeping warm was the main concern for the next eighty minutes. Just below the Derry(corner of the Copland and Sandy Jardine stands) a fire had been lit and several dozen fed cardboard boxes into the flames. The Polis dispersed the cold and extinguished the fire to a chorus of boos. Another former Ger in the Bairns ranks, Dennis Setterington took his cue, slipped a ball through for Shirra to knock past McCloy on the hour mark. It was an uneasy half-hour until young Iain McDonald came in off the wing, drifted past a couple of defenders to place the ball past the Falkirk Keeper in the last minute. As we filed out of the Stadium, the rumour was Wullie Henderson had endured an Albion Training ground spat with Willie Waddell. I am sure it's a false memory but I swear three of us stood waiting for the Tannochside RSC bus at the bottom of the lazy S, in the dark. Kick off at Pittodrie was 3 O'Clock, the bus departed before nine. The conversation was warming, Wullie had walked out of Ibrox two days before, vowing never to return. We reached Stonehaven after Noon, purvey was taken. The Scotch Broth and Steak Pie was the highlight of the day because the match was a hard watch. Thirty-five thousand crammed into the hill o'dung, the old high terrace ran the length of the pitch and the North Sea wind cut through everyone viewing second against third. Aberdeen - Geoghegan, G Murray, Hermiston, S Murray, Young, Buchan, Miller, Robb, Harper, Willoughby and, Graham. Rangers - McCloy, Jardine, Mathieson, Greig, D Johnstone, Smith, McLean, Johnston, Stein, A MacDonald and I McDonald. A number of running spats between the players culminated in Colin Stein being subbed, we put on Aberdonian Bomber Jackson to kick Joey Harper. The Ref' blew the final whistle and we were jealous of the ball being stretchered off, we had a mile walk over the Golf Course to our bus. Aberdeen had triumphed 2-1 at the start of the season in the Dryborough Cup final against ra Sellik. The game at Pittodrie attracted a crowd less than 25,000 in August, a zero-zero League fixture against the Famous in the second week of January drew an attendance of 11,000 more. Things don't change. The guy playing left back for the Dons, Jim Hermiston would leave Aberdeen a couple of years later. He joined the Polis and remarked he earned more Policing Pittodrie games as a Constable than he did as a player in a successful Dandies team. Joe Harper finished the season having scored 45 goals, Colin Stein achieved 25. Aberdeen would sell half-a-dozen of that side within a couple of years for nearly £500,000, bib big money back then. Finally, Alex Willoughby was a cousin of Jim Forrest and like Jim, a favourite of the Bears. He scored 39 goals in 75 appearances, a tremendous return for a midfielder He played with his cousin at Rangers, Aberdeen and, Hong Kong Rangers.

Wouldn't it be fun if we finalised the deal to take Souttar this month, but only once he's played against the forces of darkness on the 26th and signed off at Hearts be securing some points?

If the offer isn’t over £15m it’s not worth looking at.

Delighted with that signing. Hopefully get him in, in January and if Goldson wants to go offload him

I think he is essentially his replacement, but we will bring someone else in in the summer too so Souttar will have to fight for his spot when Helander is fit. We could have met Goldson’s terms if we wanted to but it’s increasingly looking like we aren’t going to do that.

Said earlier in the thread, think he's a decent enough player and can see why we've gone for him but if and it's a big if, if he's a replacement for Goldson, it's a step backwards in my opinion. Hope the lad comes in and does well for us, but if Goldson stays and Helander gets back to fitness, Souttar is 3rd choice for me.

Can we not just give Hearts those two anyway... ?

Simpson? 😀

There was nothing in that SSN report. Still looks to me like people guessing, I don’t think anything will be announced today.

He's under contract until 2025, so there will be no selling on the cheap, no matter what we bought him for.

Birmingham live reporting that Aston Villa and Arsenal looking to sign Kamara. 10 mill plus easy there. Selling two players for well over 20 million that that cost us 50k would be a fantastic peice of business!

All deeply suspicious. No wonder the police got involved

I still think it’s people guessing when they heard tours were cancelled this afternoon, which is apparently due to building work. I would be very surprised if Neilson was so in the dark only the day before it’s done and dusted.

Never knew that but doesn’t surprise me. D&P had to get rid off Kennedy first.

It was ridiculous to retain Defoe beyond the end of last season. I was disappointed in Gerrard’s judgement and suspect it had more to do with his relationship with Defoe rather than his obligation to Rangers.

According to The Times, no longer a paper of record, mind, "A quick recap of Souttar’s tribulations: early in 2017 it was an achilles tendon rupture; in 2018 a hip injury; in 2019 an ankle issue; in 2020 another damaged achilles and then just two months after recovering, the same injury yet again." https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rangers-blackburn-rovers-or-sheffield-united-john-souttar-has-suitors-to-choose-from-c7vdtpq2h Overall, seems a bit of a punt. He hasn't, it seems, had a major knee injury; inevitably, that will change if he joins us.

Help ma boab.