'We firmly believe...': Champions League club agree new deal for 49-goal ex-Rangers hotshot

Former Rangers academy star Rory Wilson has agreed a new deal with English Premier League Aston Villa after months of negotiations.

The Midlands outfit have reached the quarter-final stage of the Champions League in their debut campaign in the competition, with Scotland international John McGinn likely to lead them out against Paris Saint-Germain in the first-leg of the tie at Parc des Princes on Wednesday, and Villa head coach Unai Emery has now been handed a further boost after tying down the highly-rated Scottish youth international.

The teenage striker first rose to prominence in the Rangers academy, where he bagged a total of 49 goals at youth level, before he was prized away by the Villa Park outfit in the summer of 2022. After moving to Villa Park for a reported fee of £350,000, Wilson has flourished even further, scoring 36 goals in 53 appearances for Villa’s youth sides.

Scotland under-21 star Rory Wilson is close to agreeing a new deal with Aston Villa. Cr: SNS Group. | SNS Group / SFA

Viewed him as one of the club’s most promising young talents, the club had aimed to tie him down to a new five-year contract last year in order to fend off interest in his services, with a number of top clubs reported to be keen on securing his signature. Discussions over a new deal were believed to have reached an impasse recently, with reports saying Villa were reportedly ‘unwilling to break its academy salary structure.’

However, a report last month indicated that the club had resumed talks with the 19-year-old, with all parties ‘confident’ a deal would be be struck between player and club, after reshaping their original offer. The club have now officially confirmed Wilson has signed a new contract with the club, though the length of the deal has been left undisclosed.

“We are delighted to have agreed a new contract with Rory,” said Villa Academy boss Mark Harrison. “He has obviously got a proven track record of scoring goals at Academy level and we firmly believe that this will continue at senior level. Rory has always been very committed to his development and has shown that consistently throughout his time with us. He has undoubted potential, so we look forward to supporting him into transitioning into a first team player at Aston Villa FC."