Rangers have effectively put a £20M pricetag on goalkeeper Jack Butland by manager Philippe Clement confirming there is zero intention in selling Rangers’ number one and took a bit of an unintended pot-shot at Jon McLaughlin at the same time.
Asked about the interest in the former England number one, whose form has not gone unnoticed by those south of the border, Clement dismissed it out of hand while taking a little dig at McLaughlin, even though he probably doesn’t know the ex-Scotland cap from Adam.
He said:
“Yeah, for sure (I will reject any offers), I am really happy with Jack. Not only on the pitch with his performances, but also outside the pitch and in the dressing room. In the way he works, the way he acts and his personality.”
But we had to giggle at the next part:
“Jack is going to be one of the key figures to build a team around for the next couple of years, yes. It’s clear, when you have a s*** goalkeeper, you can’t have success! That’s very clear. That is the same for every manager.”
Let’s face it, McLaughlin, lovely lad we’re sure, is very much the s*** goalkeeper and we remain embarrassed to this day that Giovanni van Bronckhorst appointed him number one and fans agreed. Past history now though.
In terms of Butland, he’s an exceptional goalie, as good as McGregor if not better, if we’re honest – he’s the complete package and dominates his box. In terms of quality stoppers, he’s the best in Scotland by a distance, and we’d not be shocked if Premier League sides come in in January.
But Clement is adamant. The boy is staying. So, unless you’re going to dig deep and pay £20M+, forget it. He’s going nowhere.