For over a year now, Rangers fans have been looking at the list of players who are approaching the end of their contracts this summer and discussing who should, and who shouldn’t, be offered an extension.
Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos are at the top of the list in terms of priority, however, there will be a few players who are set to leave after being key players for much of their time at the club.
One of those is Ryan Jack, his status as a homegrown player and “only” being 30-years old (31 this month) goes in his favour, however, his injury history is something that definitely goes against him. If he does get to stay, I’d be surprised if it is anything longer than 12-month rolling contracts that he gets offered.
Writing for Football Insider, transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher has claimed that talks with Jack will commence in a couple of weeks:
“Rangers are set to open talks with Ryan Jack over a new contract after the Scottish League Cup final against Celtic.
“The 30-year-old midfielder’s current deal is due to expire at the end of the season and he revealed last month that talks over an extension had yet to begin.
The Glasgow giants intend to offer the former Aberdeen star a new deal with the player still seen as a key member of the team.”
Jack has been unavailable for eight games this season through injury and certainly seems to be over the worst of his problems, the games he missed coming from a collision rather than a recurrence of the calf injuries he has suffered from in the past.
Of the over-30s that are out of contract, Jack is the one that I would also expect to be most likely to stay because, if we lose the likes of Allan McGregor, Steven Davis and Scott Arfield, retaining someone who knows the club and who can help new signings to integrate is hugely important.
On one condition.
Michael Beale revealed this week that Jack has a minor issue, which for any other player would be acceptable but, if is missing for more games than he is available between now and the end of the season – regardless of his homegrown status – I just think we could use his wage more efficiently elsewhere. Having injury prone players in every department has cost us dearly this season and we need to start moving forwards, whatever the emotional cost.