Rangers have been dealt a blow in their attempts to raid Steven Gerrard’s old club Liverpool once again according to a report in The Daily Express.
Pedro Chirivella is the latest youngster to have his name linked with a move up the M6 but it looks as though the Light Blues are set to miss out with the Express claiming that the 22-year old has signed a pre-contract agreement with Nantes.
The report comes from Duncan Castles’ Transfer Podcast where he goes into the details of Rangers interest in the playmaker:
“There is significant interest in him, particularly at Rangers who of course are managed by Steven Gerrard, who knows Chirivella from his time coaching the younger players at the club.
“They would like to sign him, I’m told, but I think this is a mark of where Rangers are at the moment.
“Even though this would be a free transfer because he would be moving across national borders, even though the wages I think are going to be a maximum of £15,000 per week, probably less, Rangers haven’t been able to complete that deal and that I’m told is regardless of the fact that Gerrard is pushing very heavily to sign the player and install him in Rangers’ midfield for next season.”
Castles goes on to explain that the financial difficulties that the Ibrox club face at the moment could be the stumbling block, despite interim Chairman, Douglas Park, refuting these claims and that investment has already made into the club with further initiatives in the pipeline including a new kit deal.
The problem is likely to be the £15,000 a week contract, if that is to be believed, Chirivella is still a relatively untested player at senior level with less than 50 appearances in his career so far, a player on that wage at Rangers should be a guaranteed starter.
It is another indicator of the difference in finances between the Premier League and Rangers when an unestablished youth player is priced out of a move because of their wage demands.
Gers fans were told on several occasions that Ryan Kent wouldn’t be returning to Ibrox and that Rangers couldn’t afford the deal so, don’t write this one off until the ink is dry and Chirivella’s next move has been announced, he may yet end up in the famous Light Blue shirt.