Defiant Ibrox defender holds out for his pay off

Nikola Katic is refusing to be bundled out the exit door at Ibrox. 

After a disastrous season on loan at Hadjuk Split the Ibrox club are desperate to get the defender off the pay-roll. 

Katic along with Glen Middleton, Stephen Kelly and Jack Simpson have been told that they are free to leave Ibrox but with little chance of having their salaries matched it looks like they are holding out for pay-offs. 

Under Steven Gerrard Katic was a fairly regular choice in central defence but a training ground injury in the summer of 2020 has virtually ended his Ibrox career. 

Speaking to Sportske  Jutarnji the defender said:

I have a contract, I played some matches during the preparations, some I didn’t. There are a lot of us, there is strong competition, but as everywhere, the struggle is day by day. 

I think I have the quality to play for Rangers, but of course it all depends on the coach, we’ll see. That’s all I can say, I can’t say whether I’ll stay at Rangers or not, whether I’ll sign a new contract or not but I definitely believe in my qualities.  

I had a difficult two years, I missed the first one due to an injury, last season after a year of not playing I was on loan in Hajduk, it was not easy to play after the injury. Now I finally have that real feeling back and I’m in a good position 

With John Souttar and Ben Davies added to the squad Giovanni van Bronckorst is well covered for central defenders with Filip Helander on the comeback trail from injury.