Rangers have officially agreed a deal to send 29-year-old Scotland international centre-back John Souttar to Aris in Greece, with the player set to fly out this Sunday, September 13. This whole transfer saga finally has a clearer route, but man, it feels like a total head-scratcher. Aheed Abrar from Ibrox News broke the agreement on September 10, putting an end to weeks of uncertainty around Souttar’s spot at Ibrox. The Greek club reportedly agreed terms and plans to hand him a three-year contract once he arrives. Souttar hasn’t even seen the pitch since Derek McInnes took over as manager, missing out on the competitive squad picture this season despite being under contract. Greece can still register him because their transfer window is still open after Scotland’s window slammed shut on September 3. Aris sees him as a major defensive addition, which just makes you wonder: why are we letting him go?
Our Defensive Line Just Got Dangerously Thin
This is where the real worry sets in. Letting an experienced Scotland defender leave now? It feels like we’re taking a needless risk when our central defensive numbers are already looking incredibly thin. Ben Godfrey is just returning from an injury, Emmanuel Fernandez still hasn’t shown the consistency we all expected from him, and Olwethu Makhanya is learning the ropes in an incredibly demanding environment. That leaves McInnes with almost no wiggle room if another injury hits. Seriously, can you imagine?
Sure, Dujon Sterling and Ross McCrorie can cover centrally, but let’s be real, emergency cover carries a cost. Both players offer useful versatility, absolutely, but asking them to spend long stretches at centre-back could seriously weaken other areas of the pitch and force tactical changes we don’t need right now. A routine injury crisis, maybe around December, could spiral into a serious selection problem, potentially costing us points simply because the squad lacks a senior specialist. That’s not a risk you want to take when chasing trophies across competitions.
The Timing of This Deal Makes Zero Sense
The bigger concern here isn’t just the numbers, it’s the decision-making. Souttar’s spell at Rangers never really hit the level many expected after he arrived from Hearts, mostly thanks to injuries and changes in management constantly interrupting his progress. Even so, he brings international experience, real composure on the ball, and a passing range that could have been super helpful for McInnes trying to build from the back.
McInnes has clearly decided Souttar doesn’t belong in his plans, but the timing of this move is just impossible to defend. The club renewed Souttar’s contract back in February! And now, just months later, we’re ready to lose a player who could absolutely still contribute during what’s going to be a packed campaign. This creates a dangerous trade-off for a team with serious ambitions. We’re now facing a completely foreseeable problem in January, where the hierarchy might need to find a natural centre-back simply because we chose to remove one first. This is a gamble, and we better hope it doesn’t come back to bite us.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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