Reluctant Beale gets round to discussing the elephant in the room

Micky Beale is finally getting round to the issue of players with contracts that expire in May 2024.

As Celtic learned to their cost in the summer of 2021 allowing players to enter the final year of their contract is a dangerous business with the player effectively calling the shots.

Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos are about to walk out of Ibrox as free agents after Ross Wilson refused to push the issue of their contracts in the critical 12-24 months before their deals expired.

Celtic picked up around £30m for Odsonne Edouard, Kris Ajer and Ryan Christie after allowing their contracts to run towards the red zone with Beale now in the same situation with John Lundstram and Borna Barisic.

The former Sheffield United midfielder is one of the highest paid players at Ibrox after joining as a free agent- getting offered a new deal on similar terms seems unlikely with little sign of any club prepared to match the current wages of the Scary Scouser and pay out a transfer fee.

Big name departures are expected from Ibrox this week but looking further down the line Beale told The Sun:

With John and Borna, they’ll go away over the summer, weigh everything up, then we’ll have a chat. I’ve spoken to both and they know what I think and where I’m going with it so they’re up to speed.

For senior players, they want to see where we’re going and I want to see they’re performing at a level I think we can go on a journey.

They’ve both, in the main, performed well. They’ll want to see if someone is signed in their position and everything that goes around it.

The more pressing concern was the boys out of contract and the immediate recruitment. Those talks will be towards the back end of the summer.

Roma are believed to have dropped their interest in Barisic, Kemar Roofe is also out of contract next May but seems unlikely to be offered a new contract.