Dundee United central defender Harry Souttar is travelling to Stoke City after the clubs agreed a deal worth over £200,000.
The 6 ft 7 in youngster will head south with agent John Colquhoun to get a look around the English Premier League’s Bet365 Arena and Clayton Wood training ground.
Given the glitz and glamour of the Potters’ facilities and squad, Souttar is sure to like what he sees and could sign for them by the end of the week.
The 17-year-old will be joining up with the likes of Bojan, Xherdan Shaqiri, Marko Arnautovic and Dundee-born Scotland international Charlie Adam.
The move will net the Tangerines around £100,000 up front, with a second, similarly-sized instalment guaranteed early next year.
Perhaps most significant of all is United’s insistence on a sell-on clause, as well as the usual add-ons.
It looks like a realistic bit of business by a club in serious need of a commanding centre-back after a poor start to their Championship campaign.
While having bags of talent, Souttar is still inexperienced and the hope is that manager Ray McKinnon can now recruit a more seasoned, experienced central defender for the tough season that lies ahead.
McKinnon has targets in mind and the Souttar money when it arrives will strengthen his hand as he looks to bolster his team’s backline.
