Glasgow Rangers have made contact to enquire about a summer deal for Southampton defender Thierry Small, according to reports.
Who is Thierry Small?
Small was an academy graduate of Everton in the English Premier League before joining the Saints’ B side back in 2021, and since that time, he’s carried out two loan spells with Port Vale and most recently St. Mirren in the Scottish Premiership, as per Transfermarkt, but with his deal set to expire at the end of next season, he could be on the move during the upcoming window.
According to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur reportedly saw a bid for the 18-year-old rejected in January as the offer didn’t convince the south coast outfit, but after learning that they would be open to sanctioning a permanent sale, Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold has suggested that another attempt is something they could "look at" in the near future.
Michael Beale currently has Borna Barisic and Ridvan Yilmaz as his options at left-back, but with the former also out of contract next summer, the manager could be entering the market to look for a younger upgrade – which is where the Saints teenager comes into play.
Are Rangers signing Small?
According to Football Insider, Rangers have “registered their interest” in completing the signing of Small. The Glasgow outfit have “made a move” for the talented prospect and have “been in touch” with Southampton, asking to be kept informed of developments surrounding his situation as they weigh up submitting a bid.
Rangers will be aware that Small is still only a teenager and therefore wouldn’t expect a lot of him straight away, but the youngster, once hailed an “exciting” player by journalist Simon Peach, could yet be a wonderful signing for the long-term future at Ibrox.
The England U18s international, who earns £4.6k per week is a threat down the flank having posted 16 goal contributions (11 goals and five assists) in 65 appearances throughout his career – not bad numbers for someone of his age.
The left-footed ace Small would add fantastic versatility to Beale’s squad with his ability to operate in all three positions down the left-hand side of the field, not to mention that he’s even once played as a centre-forward, so should the opportunity present itself, this is a no-brainer of a deal to wrap up.