A sizable portion of Rangers fans will be delighted after potential target Ryan Porteous rejected the Ibrox club in favour of wishing to leave Scotland entirely.
The 23-year old stopper, a divisive figure at the best of times, revealed he wants to leave the dirge (our words not his) of the Scottish Premiership because he wants to become a regular for Scotland, and several European clubs are making a move for his signature, including Championship Hull and Italian top-flight side Udinese.
But it is now dead in the water as a move to Ibrox fades, although Porteous never expressed any interest in making that switch, the information we had was our hierarchy were interested in discussing with him. But it is not going to happen unless Rangers ‘make him an offer he can’t refuse’.
The reality is he’s not wrong – unless you play for Celtic in Scotland (and even if you do), you don’t play for the national team. Rangers have very little input of players in the national side, choosing very few native players in recent years, and even fewer good enough at that level, so it’s not surprising Porteous wouldn’t want to remain in the Premiership.
It also puts to an end the bickering from the majority who can’t stand him, not that we can blame them, over his anti-Rangers antics over the years. Yes, the boy can play, but he really isn’t very popular in Ibrox circles.
The cupping of his year when he scored was probably as big a signal to the home fans on Thursday that he had no intention of becoming one of them, and he sets his sights on a move to Europe or down south in the next window.
A loss or a bullet dodged? A bit of both. He can play, he is talented, but he’s also a wind up merchant who’d cause friction among our fans.
Doesn’t matter anyway, he’s not coming. Not unless Ross Wilson digs deep and persuades him with lots of coin that his future lies in Govan. Probably not happening and we can all move on with our lives now it seems.