Emile Heskey's verdict on Rangers and Birmingham City target, Ibrox club linked to ace tipped for £30m move

Emile Heskey has provided his verdict as Rangers are linked to a promising talent in the EFL.

Peterborough United have already announced that Kwame Poku is set to leave the Posh at the end of his contract, having scored 12 with eight assists in just 27 League One games last season. That is set to spark a free agency scramble, with Birmingham City one of the teams said to be interested, and Rangers have previously been linked. New reporting has now emerged that suggests Poku remains on the Ibrox agenda.

As reported by the Rangers Review, “Rangers are one of several clubs interested in out-of-contract Peterborough winger Kwame Poku.” They add “The 23-year-old is also understood to be wanted by Birmingham City and has suitors in both France and Germany.” Ex Birmingham City and England striker Heskey has provided his verdict, and reckons his former club would be too hard to turn down after their Championship promotion, and stand as frontrunners.

Emile Heskey verdict on Rangers and Birmingham City transfer target

Heskey told Football League World: “With Birmingham’s aspirations and their blueprint, it’s hard for players to turn that down. A lot of players go off ‘what does the future hold for the club and what are their plans’, and Birmingham is a very bold plan, so it’s hard for players to turn that down. If it does come to fruition then they can say ‘I was part of that’, which is great and that’s what everyone wants.

“They’re (Birmingham) probably sitting at the forefront, Sunderland have gone into the Premier League, got a bit of money to spend, so it’ll be an interesting one.”

Speaking on his own podcast, Darragh MacAnthony, Peterborough’s chairman said the attacker is on a trajectory to become a £30m player. He said: "Kwame probably won’t go to the Premier League straight away, but he will get a high-end Championship club. He will be a Premier League star in the future and that next move will probably cost £30 million.”

Rangers target on way out of current club

Having debuted for for Ghana, Poku has been on the radar of clubs in England for a sustained before of time, but a hamstring injury in the festive period stopped Peterborough from selling him in January before his deal ran down. Peterborough would be entitled to a tribunal fee for the winger who cost £250,000 at the age of 19 after form at Colchester United.

The club have said previously: “As previously communicated, midfielder Hector Kyprianou, winger Kwame Poku and striker Ricky-Jade Jones will all depart at the end of their contracts. The club held discussions with all three about extending their stays in PE2 but they indicated they wanted to move on and they leave with our thanks for their efforts over their time at the club.

“Poku joined Posh from Colchester United in August 2021 and has made a huge impact in PE2, making 147 appearances and scoring 30 goals. He won back-to-back Sky Bet League One Player of the Month gongs in the early months of the 2024-2025 campaign and was on track to make it three until a hamstring injury ruled him out, ultimately seeing the winger miss nearly 20 league fixtures. A regular assist-maker as well as goal-scorer, Poku was part of the Posh squad that reached the semi-finals of the play-offs in successive seasons and also helped the team win back-to-back EFL Trophies at Wembley Stadium. The club are protected by a tribunal in terms of a transfer fee because Poku joined the club when he was under the age of 21, and a number of clubs have expressed an interest in securing his services.”