Rangers have had the door opened in their attempts to sign Preston North End’s Daniel Johnson, with The Lilywhites gaffer encouraging the Ibrox side to put their money where their mouth is.
The Scottish Sun reported on Alex Neil’s interview in which he revealed that there have been offers in for his player but, as yet, there has been nothing that has been accepted by the Championship side.
The article claims that the Gers are competing with Brentford for the 27-year old’s signature – with Ibrox believed to be his preferred destination – but if they are to get a deal over the line, they must up the ante:
“We have teams showing an interest in our players, which unsettles things. People think players are just robots who can just continue on.
“The sooner we get clarity, so we know where we are and what we’re trying to do, the easier it makes it for everyone.
“At the moment there are so many unanswered questions, it can become unsettling for players and others. We need to understand if lads are signing on, then let’s get it done.
“But if other clubs are coming in to try to take them away, then come in and make a proper offer then see where we are.
“It’s frustrating for me, I’m trying to get my team ready and focused — so the distractions are not helpful. We have too many situations at the moment which are unanswered.”
A “proper offer” can mean anything in today’s transfer market, especially in the over inflated world of the English Championship with The Daily Record claiming that Preston could want as much as £4million for a player in the last year of their contract, despite getting 12 goals and 8 assists in 33 appearances last season, the price tag is a bit steep.
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Rangers will be wanting to add quality to their midfield as soon as possible, however, the price has to be right, and as Ross Wilson alluded to at the weekend, it must be on terms that suit the club – if they are held to ransom, they will simply move on to the next target.