ASTON VILLA’S signing of Rangers’ super kid Rory Wilson is likely to go all the way to FIFA following a row over compensation.
Steven Gerrard raided his former club to land the 16-year-old who is regarded as one of the hottest teenage striking talents in Europe.
The kid striker scored his 49th goal of the season for Scotland’s Under-17’s against Denmark in Israel last month and has committed to signing for Villa on July 1, after agreeing personal terms.
Villa were prepared to offer £300,000 for the kid who joined the Rangers Academy when he was eight and signed for the club aged 13.
But Rangers believe Wilson is worth much more than the £500,000 they received from Chelsea for Billy Gilmour in 2017.
Wilson turned down the offer of a long-term deal from the Europa League finalists, with the lure of playing for ex-Gers boss Gerrard a significant part in the youngster’s decision.
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However Rangers claim they hold the player’s SFA registration and he remains their player until his current contract expires in December this year.
In contrast, Villa claim because the youngster has only ever signed amateur forms, Rangers have no right to hold him and believe FIFA would side with them.
Villa will now attempt to register the player and apply for International Transfer Clearance with the English FA, which would be automatically rejected by the SFA because Rangers have not accepted a fee and continue to dispute the player’s registration.
It is expected Wilson would be granted temporary international clearance until the matter is handed over to FIFA to resolve.
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Villa argue the player has never entered into a professional contract with Rangers and has only received out of pocket expenses, which means he remains an amateur.
They believe they could land Wilson for as little as £110,000 if FIFA finds in their favour.
Since the arrival of billionaire owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens in 2017, Villa have been snapping up some of the best young talent in the UK to create one of the top youth set-ups in the country.
Wilson recently spoke of his desire to move to the Premier League and said: “Rangers have been brilliant for me. There’s no getting away from that.
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“But it’s time to move on and get to the next level.
“I want to go down south and try and prove myself and become a top player and that’s what I am going to do.”
