While there are reports this morning from our best mates at Football Insider that talks with John Lundstram have stalled and that he’s looking at other options, we can safely say that’s (partial) nonsense, but there’s a reason a story like that has got out.

There’s no denying Lunny wants to stay at Rangers, he’s 100% clear on that. His preference 100% is to remain in Govan till his mid 30s. He’s happy at Ibrox.

However, the contract terms offered still doesn’t quite nail his requirements yet; we understood he’d come to an agreement with the club, but that was gentleman’s, nothing was signed and the finer details were still to be thrashed out.

For everything the player has given to the club, he wants to be paid a fair remuneration and for the club’s side they have to be aware that making him a much better-paid player is a one-way investment and there’s no resale value. He’s getting on now and the wrong side of 30 is a bad place for a player to be.

So the ace up the sleeve of Lunny’s agent is to spread a story that talks have stalled and that he’s looking elsewhere. In short, it ‘encourages’ Rangers to honour the terms Lunny wants so he can sign the contract.

Lunny loves Rangers, and wants to stay. He gives everything he has. But he’s also pragmatic and knows he’s a Premier League-level midfielder who could get any bottom 10 PL side this summer as a free agent with relative ease.

So to spur Rangers into upping the terms and giving the fair deal, the agent runs this story to the press to ‘help’ things along.

Very standard practise in football to get things moving.

Have they really stalled, per se? Yes, they have – but he’s not really looking at other options. He wants Rangers, but also accepts the club might decide based on age policy that he’s not worth what he’s asking for.

So he’s waiting for the club to give him the deal he wants. That’s the stall.

We can see both sides of this, and do hope it’s resolved soon.

He’s about the only player we have who doesn’t get injured and isn’t called James Tavernier, Connor Goldson or Cyriel Dessers.