Rangers want £15m to sell “man mountain” who is plotting Ibrox exit

Rangers will demand £15m to let one of their stars leave Ibrox this summer, it has been claimed, after it emerged he was keen on a departure.

Rangers making summer plans

Rangers have been wasting no time in making plans for the summer, with focus on the incomings first. They missed out on target Gjis Smal, who is set to join Feyenoord on a free transfer, but remain on the hunt for a left-back before the start of the new campaign.

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Instead, it appears that the Scottish Premiership leaders are looking to close a deal for Brazilian left-back Jefte, in a bid to replace the soon-to-be free agent Borna Barisic at Ibrox. However, there may be a surprise departure from Glasgow this summer, just 12 months on from his arrival.

Jack Butland transfer update

That surprise could come in the form of shot-stopper Jack Butland, who has been excellent in goal for Rangers this season and has helped them to a mammoth 17 clean sheets since his arrival on a free transfer last summer.

However, as was reported last week, the 31-year-old is plotting a return to the Premier League and is aiming to return to the England squad, both of which he feels are linked. Though widely rumoured to have been included in the squad for the March internationals, he was snubbed in favour of Sam Johnstone by Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate.

Rangers legend Barry Ferguson described the decision for Southgate to overlook him as a ‘slap in the face’ and claimed Butland has been a ‘man mountain’ since his arrival at Ibrox.

“I was watching the announcement and I couldn’t believe it – and I’m not just saying this because he’s the Rangers goalkeeper. I honestly don’t know what to say. The keepers that were picked in front of him, yes, they’re good keepers. But are they better than Jack Butland? I don’t think so.

“If I was him I would be disappointed. I would be angry. But if he’s angry, frustrated or disillusioned then he’ll use the remaining games of the season to go out and show just how good a goalkeeper he is.

“There is still a slight opportunity for him to go to Germany but not making it into this squad suggests that’s not going to be the case – and that’s the wrong choice. But all Jack can do now is continue to play the way he has since he came up here. He can’t influence anything else. And since he’s come up here he’s been an absolute man mountain at the back for Rangers.”

Now Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that Rangers would be willing to sanction a departure, provided that any interested club stumped up £15m for the 31-year-old goalkeeper, a fee which would make him the second-highest sale in the club’s history.

They add that the Ibrox outfit are ‘aware that they will not be able to compete with the wages that can be offered by a top-flight English side’, meaning that they ‘will not deny Butland a move’ provided that their asking price is met.

It could represent a massive profit for the goalkeeper and may provide valuable funds to strengthen across the squad, despite the loss of an excellent man between the posts.