Rangers AGREE wonderkid transfer

Rangers have reportedly agreed a deal with Nottingham Forest to sell teenager Blaine McClure to the Premier League side ‘imminently’.

McClure has yet to feature for Rangers’ first team but the 18-year-old impressed on loan at Scottish League One side Kelty Hearts in the second half of last season, which has prompted interest from a number of sides.

Having joined Rangers from Linfield in 2023, McClure is regarded as an exciting young talent and has 12 caps for Northern Ireland’s under-19 side.

According to Football Insider, an announcement will be made imminently once the deal has been finalised to send McClure to Forest on an initial loan with a view to a permanent transfer.

There is no mention of a price or how far along the transfer is but McClure is believed to be in the final year of his contract with Rangers, suggesting the fee could be nominal.

The midfielder played ten times for Kelty Hearts last season and has featured regularly for Rangers’ B team.

McClure set for Premier League transfer after loan spell

Speaking in May, McClure admitted he had been unsure about the loan move to Kelty Hearts but agreed that the stint in League One was ‘beneficial’ to his growth.

“I was quite unsure what to do,” he said. “I thought it would be a crucial step whether to go or not, and I was in my two minds about it. I spoke to Stevie Smith (Rangers U18 manager) who has been in that situation before as a player, and he thought it was best for me.

“I didn’t really know much about Scottish League One coming from Northern Ireland, so I done a little bit of research and thought it was the right move for me.

“I wanted to see what the next challenge was and test myself against players who are more experienced and physical than I am. It was beneficial and, looking back now, I don’t regret the decision.”