In continued frolics in Rangers’ January window, manager Michael Beale has claimed he was unaware of any offer the club has supposedly put in for Swansea’s £2M-rated Morgan Whittaker, after former Rangers defender-now Swans manager Russell Martin suggested the Ibrox side made an offer.
Speaking after the Killie win, Beale was supposedly in the dark (aye right) about an offer for the promising young right winger, saying:
“Did he really (Martin say that)? I didn’t know we had made a bid but I will talk about the player. They have recalled him for a reason.”
Yes, they have, he’s a very good player and appears to be on the move.
Martin had said:
“We have rejected an offer (for Whittaker) from them (Rangers), that’s it No-one is selling anyone on the cheap – they are good players. We will just have to wait and see. It’s not my remit – I don’t value the players, I don’t negotiate with the other clubs.”
A respectful enough comment from a former Rangers man whose priorities are obviously now very much in Wales with his new charges in the middle of the Championship table, and he won’t want to lose any of his assets, albeit Whittaker wasn’t deemed good enough hence going out on loan.
But Beale continues our January fun by suggesting he’s completely unaware of the club putting in a bid for the 22-year-old, although as he said here and previously, he’s completely aware of the winger and hinted strongly that he’s interested in adding him, but stopped short of being explicit about that.
It’s just the usual under the manager that we’re starting to get accustomed to – it keeps us on our toes and we’ll see if any of the bids he’s ‘not aware of’ get accepted and Rangers finally secure a player or two in this window!
In fairness, Fashion Sakala is really starting to pin the right-wing slot down, but it’s not his natural placement, preferring to be a 9 through the middle. But yet another strong performance from the man including a fine assist (yes, we’re warming to him a little) could see Whittaker up against it to start in that berth.
Still, depth is what’s needed.