Glasgow Rangers look set to beat Premier League side Southampton in the hunt for Blackpool’s 16-year-old sensation Tony Weston.
The Liverpool-born youngster has already made his first-team debut for the Tangerines, appearing in the FA Cup against Maidstone and Football Insider now reports that Steven Gerrard is closing in on a deal to take him north of the border. That will be bad news for scouts at St Mary’s, as the Telegraph had reported Southampton were coveting his signature back in December, with a deal falling through.
Leeds United and Everton are also likely to miss out after being linked with the youngster, who cannot sign a new deal at Bloomfield Road until he turns 17 in September. That hasn’t stopped his training with the first-team squad, even though Simon Grayson, the manager who gave him his debut, has since been replaced by Neil Critchley.
The striker had been in excellent form for the Tangerines’ youth team, netting 14 goals before Grayson involved him in the first-team plans. He has also won numerous academy Player of the Year awards throughout his time at Bloomfield Road.
The links between Critchley, Liverpool and Gerrard have now left the Ibrox giants out in front for the youngster’s signature and advanced talks usually indicate that a potential deal is close. League One clubs, Blackpool included, have been hit hard by the recent pandemic and any income is likely to be of serious use to Neil Critchley’s side over the summer months.
Our View
There is a lot of hype around Weston, but the hype has to be turned into ability and the best place for that to happen is a bigger club with better facilities.
However, considering the players Neil Critchley has worked with, Blackpool might not be a bad place for the youngster to learn his trade. However, with financial issues looming for each and every lower league club, selling off the crown jewels is a great way to remain solvent. That’s not to say Blackpool are in trouble of course, but every club is going to cut its cloth accordingly and moves like this for other exciting young players will become commonplace.
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