Sunderland Show Transfer Interest In Rangers Starlet With Brentford

Sunderland and their Premier League rivals, Brentford, have reportedly sent scouts to watch Rangers central defender Olwethu Makhanya ahead of the January transfer window.

According to reports from Football Insider, the Black Cats and Brentford both had scouts in attendance to watch the 22-year-old centre-back during Rangers' 3-1 victory over Kilmarnock last weekend.

As well as Sunderland and their fellow Premier League outfit, the report indicates that there is also growing interest from Serie A, La Liga, and other English top flight clubs in the South African international talent.

Rangers signed Makhanya from MLS outfit Philadelphia Union in the summer window, where he rose through the youth ranks to make 53 senior appearances before moving to Glasgow.

After his first 12 outings for the Scottish Premier League giants across the Scottish Premiership and European competition, the promising prospect has quickly established himself as one of the first names on Derek McInnes' teamsheet.

When analysing what Makhanya has to offer and his potential for further development, it is clear to see why.

Within the Kilmarnock victory that Sunderland and Brentford transfer scouts were reportedly present at, Makhanya once again enjoyed an impressive performance for the Ibrox outfit, both defensively and with the ball at his feet.

In defence, the highly-rated defender made eight defensive contributions and won 75 percent of his aerial duels to help Rangers to a 3-1 win to take them two points behind SPL leaders and bitter rivals, Celtic.

Additionally, Makhanya was eye-catching in possession, enjoying a stellar 84 percent passing accuracy and playing nine passes into the Kilmarnock final third, showcasing that the young talent is blossoming into the epitome of a modern centre-half.

In terms of Makhanya's profile, the four-capped South African international stands at 6'1" and is a threat in both boxes aerially with his impressive physical profile, with his athleticism making him an ideal fit for the rigours of Premier League football.

From Sunderland's perspective, the interest in Makhanya makes sense, given that the Black Cats are in need of a youthful addition to their central defensive ranks as a prospect player for the seasons ahead.

Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris is currently well-stocked for options in the heart of defence despite Dan Ballard's injury, but there is clearly succession planning and squad depth in place, and therefore Makhanya would be an exciting buy.

Importantly, Rangers signed the centre-back from Philadelphia Union in a deal worth nearly £3m in July, with the defender tied down to an initial four-year contract at Ibrox, with the Gers holding an option for a 12-month extension.

Therefore, it will cost a sizeable fee for Sunderland or any other aforementioned transfer suitor to pry Makhanya away in a coming transfer window, and that potential fee will only rise if he continues his impressive rate of defensive development.

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