Keith Jackson is expecting a £10m plus bid to come in for Jack Butland during the summer.
In November 2011 the veteran reporter introduced readers to a billionaire from Motherwell.
According to Jackson upto 20 players could be on the move from Ibrox this summer but it is a bid for the former Crystal Palace reserve that would cause most worry for Philippe Clement.
With Alfredo Morelos finding his level in the Brazilian Second Division the Ibrox hype machine has switched attention to Butland.
Like the Colombian there is probably a little value in Butland, at £3-4m he could be a back-up in the EPL or a first choice in the Championship. Unfortunately with wholly unrealistic expectations of a fee of over £10m the Daily Record and others will spend the close season chasing moonbeams only to be left with a disillusioned goalkeeper at the start of September.
Morelos did manage to get two improved contracts following his initial deal after signing from HJK Helsinki in 2017, Butland signed a four year contract last summer with no suggestion that he is about to get improved terms.
Explaining the situation to Record readers, Jackson writes:
The big man is a keeper all right, in every conceivable manner. The trouble is, Butland’s return to top form at Ibrox has not gone unnoticed south of the border where he made a name for himself in the first place.
Clubs all across England’s top division are well aware of his true market value and if just one of them decides to put a price on it this summer then the men in charge of the Rangers bank balance might find it impossible to resist.
An offer anywhere north of £10m for a player who joined for nothing less than 12 months ago would represent great business in the boardroom but bad news for Clement who would then have to have an unwanted chat with head of recruitment Nils Koppen about sourcing a capable replacement.
Koppen will already be studying goalkeeping options given Robby McCrorie must be running low on patience now that he’s turned 26 and still can’t get a sniff of regular first team action.
Print circulation of the Daily Record is expected to dip below 50,000 by the end of this month. It seems that their elderly readership are starting to see through the spin and hype.
English clubs are well aware of Butland’s market value, that is why none of them made an offer a year ago when he was a free agent after not playing a minute while on loan at Manchester United.
The current England goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford has spent the last seven seasons battling relegation at Everton without any serious interest from any EPL club. Pickford’s back-up, Aaron Ramsdale is expected to be on the move this summer after losing his place to on loan David Raya.
After a six month campaign over ‘Butland for England’ the Record decided against getting a comment from Gareth Southgate after the England boss watched the April Glasgow Derby.
How Jackson still has a job with that rag sums up why it’s circling the sewer, both him and it are an embarrassment .
Has made some decent quite Hollywood saves and is a good goalie, probably championship level. I would worry that a significant amount of the recent goals against have come from the fundamental flaw of his Powder Puff Palm outs which haven’t went beyond the 6 yard box yet not one commentator has mentioned that in fear of bursting the bubble….
The way England’s keepers have been playing of late, big Joe may yet get the chance to tell Gareth Southgate to go and **** himself!
Figures below 50,000 – Beautiful indeed… Absolutely Beautiful indeed –
Their Jobs are gonna be going…
Lovely, Lovely, Jubblly, Jubbly, and Doubly, Doubly Because its The Rancid Record !!!
1) If he is such a prospect why does Sevco have so many goals against.
2) If he is a hot prospect valued at £20m why are we letting Joe leave…..
Who said
“If You Tell A lie Often Enough, Then People Will Believe It!”
Seem like people believe it!