'On radar': How £12m EPL-bound teen sensation was transfer target for Rangers

Reports over the weekend have detailed how Rangers were in the running to sign £12million Sunderland wonderkid Tommy Watson as part of their squad rebuild.

The 19-year-old starlet will complete a £12m transfer to Brighton in the summer after playing an important role in the Black Cats’ quest for promotion to English Premier League, but new reports over the weekend claim the Ibrox giants had the youngster “on their radar” and held a serious interest in the player alongside Nottingham Forest.

The piece from the Sunderland Echo claims the form of both Jack Clarke in recent seasons and, more recently, Romaine Mundle had led Watson to become frustrated with his lack of senior opportunities, leading the youngster to stall over signing his first senior contract in the summer of 2023. As per sources at The Scotsman, this had alerted Rangers to the potential availability of the teenager, with the club believed to have held serious interest in him before he had even signed his scholarship on Wearside back in 2022.

While a niggling injury curtailed his involvement at a crucial stage in his development and halted any progress at senior level, he did eventually agree a three-year professional contract at the Stadium of Light in September 2023 after drawn out negotiations, though strong interest remained from several clubs.

Sunderland youngster Tommy Watson

His aforementioned frustration at his lack of opportunity even led to fellow long-term admirers Brighton launching a reported bid of £2million last summer, though this was rejected almost instantly by the Black Cats. Watson would eventually flourish though when he was finally awarded an opportunity in the club’s first team following the £15million summer sale of Clarke to Ipswich Town, and Mundle’s long-term hamstring injury.

“That's what I'm all about, to be honest,” said Watson after scoring a brace for Sunderland in a 2-1 win over Stoke City last December. “I think I'm now ready to start contributing with goals and assists. That's what I want to do. I want to be the main man here and score and assist and help the team in any way I can.” A piece from the Daily Mirror in December suggested that Watson remained ‘subject of high-profile interest’, claiming that the teenager had been previously ‘wanted’ Rangers, prior to his breakthrough season on Wearside.

Bagging two goals in 12 appearances, he is one of many highly-rated youngsters currently featuring in the club’s starting XI, alongside the likes of Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg. While it is unknown how long Rangers retained their interest, contact with Brighton is said to have “never fully ended”, leading to the Seagulls to make a renewed bid of £10million in January.

While that deal fell through on deadline day, both club’s announced a similar deal had been struck last month in a move that will see Watson move to the top-flight club in a transfer that could rise to £12million in add-ons. Despite his impending move, Watson has started the last two of Sunderland’s games, though he was booed by a section of the club’s fanbase when he was taken off in the second-half of the 0-1 defeat to Swansea City.