Rangers hurdle pinpointed amid fresh update on Harry Souttar’s Leicester City future | OneFootball

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A fresh update has emerged regarding Leicester City centre-back Harry Souttar's potential exit from the King Power Stadium, as just hours remain in this summer transfer window.

The Australian is of interest to Rangers boss Michael Beale, and this potential deal was said to have been given the green light by Foxes boss Enzo Maresca, but it looks set to go down to the wire. There was belief from both parties that a deal could be agreed before 11pm on Friday night. However, fresh circumstances have been revealed which could make any deal more complex than first imagined.

What is the issue in Rangers' pursuit of Harry Souttar?

The Light Blues' interest in Souttar has been common knowledge in the past few days, with the defender looking to seek a new challenge just six months after joining Leicester under then head coach Brendan Rodgers.

The Daily Record report that Beale has been a keen admirer of Souttar for a long time, even before the first links between the player and Rangers emerged.

However, Midlands Football correspondent for the Daily Mail, Tom Collomosse has stated on Friday morning that Beale may have to offload a handful of players before any deal.

"Harry Souttar is another who can leave #lcfc today and while there is interest from Rangers, the Ibrox club may need to make space in their squad for him first," he revealed.

This could be as a result of potential financial ramifications, which has already been highlighted by the Daily Record.

As a result, Rangers may need to offload the likes of Jon McLaughlin, Robby McCrorie and Ben Davies to free up further wages after the loan departure of Ianis Hagi and central midfielder Glen Kamara's permanent move to fellow Championship side Leeds United.

Rangers' financial position was also dealt a huge blow after they failed to reach the UEFA Champions League group stages, losing 7-3 on aggregate to PSV Eindhoven.

What is Harry Souttar's current situation at Leicester City?

Souttar has endured an up and down year, even prior to his move across the Midlands from Stoke City.

The defender caught the eye of many outsiders for his performances in his country's four outings in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which led to a move from the Potters for £15m, becoming the most expensive Australian footballer ever in the process.

He featured twelve times for Leicester following his move in January, but was part of a defence that only kept one clean sheet between December 2022 and May 2023 as they were relegated despite a mass amount of talent at Rodgers' and latterly Dean Smith's disposal.

However, in Maresca's infancy as Leicester have made the perfect start to the season, with six wins from six games in all competitions, the 24-year-old hasn't featured in the Italian's plans, as he has opted for a centre-back partnership of Wout Faes and Jannick Vestergaard.

Is this a sensible move for both parties?

There is no denying that if this transfer is completed between now and 11pm, it gives Souttar a new lease of life after a frustrating start to the campaign from his point of view.

He will add an abundance of quality to this Rangers defence, despite the fact the club already have five current centre-backs on their books.

It is definitely a transfer saga to keep a close eye on.