5-player exodus at Ibrox as Rangers get serious
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - JULY 18: Jake Hastie of Rangers in action during the UEFA Europa League First Qualifying round 2nd Leg match between Rangers and St Joseph at Ibrox Stadium on July 18, 2019 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
On top of Niko Katic, GVB is reportedly set to follow up the sale of Cedric Itten with the exits of Stephen Kelly, Glenn Middleton, Jack Simpson and Jake Hastie, none of whom are in his plans going forward.
While Kelly has a little goodwill for some impressive pre-season displays for the Famous, overall, this clump of players is the epitome of ‘dead wood’, with none of them even being good enough really for Rangers’ bench and barely turning out for the reserves.
Kelly is the exception in a way, but Rangers have Ryan Jack, John Lundstram, Steven Davis, Glen Kamara, James Sands and Scott Arfield ahead of him which is quite literally impossible for him, and he’s better moving on and finding football elsewhere.
The other three, Hastie, Simpson, and Middleton are all completely surplus and Rangers would do well to ship them out even at modest cost to the club with a mutual consent or two. Hastie was a horrific signing, Simpson even worse, and Middleton ultimately just didn’t develop as we’d hoped.
So this mini-exodus would ultimately see Itten, Katic, Hastie, Simpson, Kelly and Middleton moving onto pastures new.
Exactly the kind of trimming the squad needs.