As the rumours surround on-fire James Tavernier, Ibrox Noise takes a look at the club captain and just how serious front-runners Everton appear to be.

The Goodison giants, managed these days by a legend in Carlo Ancelotti, are a tempting prize. 7th in the league, they’re a major bet for a European place, and they’re showing consistency.

But at RB they’re hardly spoiled for choice. On one hand they’ve aging Irish international Seamus Coleman, on the other 22-year old Ben Godfrey who hasn’t a single goal or assist at any meaningful level. He also doesn’t anything like get the crosses in that Tavernier does.

Tavernier, to a rich side like the Liverpudlians, could be a prize back for Everton.

Would he want to leave?

He’s the biggest Stevie stormtrooper aside Connor Goldson – he’s been first pick for five years and this year, having matured, is showing a level of form few to no other RBs in Britain are.

But of course he’s an Englishman, and we’d be very surprised if he’s not interested in a marquee move to a strong PL team at some point in his career, given his rising stock in the game.

However, Everton won’t make him captain nor offer him Champions League football, and he sure as sh*t won’t get any winners’ medals there.

Tavernier has shown no interest in leaving, always pinning his mast to the Ibrox turf – he’s batted away rumours before, and shown excellent loyalty, paying back his managers for the faith they show in him.

But 5 years in one place might start to wear on him, as much as we want him to stay, and at his age, time is running out for him to star in the Promised Land for English footballers.

Equally though if any bid was to come in for him, it would have to be a goliath to interest the board. Tavernier’s value is well in excess of £35M now, with numbers hitting the sky and beyond, and Rangers have stated clearly he’s not for sale.

But he would then have that choice:

Rangers: 55, 50K (when fans return), armband, adoration, Champions League, Old Firm, Steven Gerrard.

Everton: Nothing at all aside Ancelotti and the chance to go home and play in the PL.

The issue for Rangers is despite all the carrots we have, he’s an Englishman away from home, and the chance to test himself in the PL with the lavish wages and opportunity to go back to his homeland with a (different) world class manager is a powerful draw.

It’s down to him, really.