Ibrox Noise got a colourful response to our Connor Goldson article yesterday, which we will leave there, but it did allude to the wider picture of Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos and a host of others and their Rangers contracts.
A tonne of players are free to talk to other clubs and have been all year, but no offers arrived and no deals were done.
Where does it stand now? Ibrox Noise takes you through the players and their futures in bitesize chunks and what’s next for them:
Morelos:
Alfie has been hyped as leaving the first window after he joined, fuelled by his own quotes confirming he wanted the Premier League. But aside a loan offer for £1.5M from Fenerbahce, £11M from Beijing Renhe and a £16.5M bid from Lille, both rejected, Morelos has had few real offers. Now he’s free to leave this summer. Will he stay? Well, as we said in a recent piece, no one wants him at the moment – that’s the truth. So he may end up staying out of lack of options otherwise. His form has improved a bit though under Beale…
Kent:
His form has definitely lifted under Beale, if not his numbers, as the winger weighs up his options. Same boat as the Colombian, no one knows if he’ll sign or not, and he’s free to talk to anyone he wants. But again, no offers. Leeds just fired another manager so his chances of getting that long-linked move are vague, but we can’t predict what Kent will do next. He is happy here, we do know that.
Jack:
He’s desperate for the new deal but we can’t see him getting it – he’s just too injury-prone, and he’s not the player he was. He’s not bad now, but he doesn’t impact matches how he used to, simply because he doesn’t have the power any more. He doesn’t press like he used to and plays more like an auxiliary 10. He’s kind of in the same position now as Scotty Arfield. Both on the pitch and off.
Scotty:
Speaking of, another one with an expiring deal, Scotty had to make do with playing host at the fanzone at the weekend, when he’d rather be on the pitch. 33 and fast-aging, we all love Scotty but unfortunately for him his place in the team is now slim pickings with the superb start to life Cantwell has made. Scotty will be fortunate to get a new deal and he knows it.
Davis:
Davis might be loved by the fans but his legs are gone at 37 and he’s out for the season. We see no chance of him being given a playing contract this summer – he has no value to add on the pitch any more and has been overtaken by younger players. It’s just the way it is. He has less chance than Scotty of a new deal. Maybe as a coach. Let’s not do a dim-witted Jermain Defoe-style experiment shall we?
McGregor:
He’s done. Absolutely done. He’s into his 40s now and his time is up. Amazing servant but he won’t get a new playing deal. Simple really.
Helander:
No chance of a new deal, he’s working on fitness to attract a new club in the summer – his Rangers career has been, sadly, a disaster, and he’s had barely 70 appearances in what will amount to four years. Not good value. No, he’s definitely leaving.
Sands:
The deal won’t become permanent – he’s surplus now so why would he stay. He’s not popular with fans, albeit he hopefully doesn’t know that, and he’s been harshly treated by many. He’ll move on with our best wishes, back to his parent club.
Tillman:
Lots of hype about him being made permanent, Michael Beale wants it, so we’ll see. If the price is fair on both sides then this could happen. But Rangers may well have rivals to his signature – don’t think Malik Tillman is not being watched.
And that’s the main lot.