‘Filthy money’; SPL transfer fee set to be shattered at Ibrox…

As discussed earlier, captain James Tavernier is becoming the subject of more and more speculation about a potential move south.

Various sources claim a crowd of top-flight PL teams down south want his services, and as we brought you earlier, a player of his calibre who hasn’t been notably injured in four years is almost beyond lucrative in value.

But there’s something else. There’s yet another reason why James Tavernier could fetch Rangers ‘filthy money’ – the player himself is helping that.

Yesterday, as the news broke that Steve Bruce’s Newcastle were ready to make an offer for his services, instead of fuelling the story like Alfredo Morelos, James Tavernier did something much stronger and made him even more valuable – he posted a social media message plugging his signing four years ago and celebrated the fourth anniversary of his move north.

This only makes him even more valuable.

By doing this, by signing new deals regularly, Tavernier has absolutely protected Rangers from coming even close to underselling him, and whether he actually wants to stay or not (PL is the promised land let’s not forget) he’s doing everything in his power to suggest he does, which strengthened Rangers’ hand massively when it comes to suitors trying to sign him.

He’s been attributed a market value of £10M by some dubious sources at best, the reality he’s a minimum of double that.

If you take his staggering stats (both domestically and in Europe), his astonishing lack of injury, his age, his experience at many levels, his signing several new deal extensions and his public devotion to Rangers via social media, this player is not one a cash-rich side can just take for as little as £10M.

No, James Tavernier, if any club is serious about bringing him away from Ibrox, will set a side back at least double the quoted numbers and probably higher.

Rangers, on no level either, need to sell – there is nothing financial or any player pushing for the exit ala Morelos. Tavernier has done everything to ensure if any team does come in for him, they’ll have to bid very, very big indeed.

If he was to be sold, it will almost certainly be for a fee which breaks the £20M for Celtic’s Dembele.

We wait, and see.