'Deal to be Done' - Keith Jackson moots £2k-p/w Ryan Jack return amid 'Strange' Rangers transfer situation

Rangers could have done a deal to keep Ryan Jack on reduced wages that were topped up as long as he was fit to play, claims Keith Jackson.

The Daily Record journalist said on Hotline Live on 4 August that “nothing seems to make a great deal of sense” about the Light Blues’ transfer window after a side very similar to the one that finished last season drew 0-0 at Hearts in the season opener a day earlier.

Jackson says that Jack, 32, wanted to stay at Ibrox when he was released at the end of his contract this summer and he is the sort of leader Philippe Clement is lacking in midfield, so a team-friendly extension could have been done.

He said (35m 25s): “If you can’t keep John Lundstram I get that… if he thinks he can get better terms elsewhere then there’s nothing much you can do about that.

“Ryan Jack on the other hand. I know that Ryan Jack has a catalogue of injuries behind him which means that on most occasions he’s actually not been available, but he’s experienced, he knows the thing inside out.

“I think he wanted to stay at the club. I’m not suggesting for a moment that you give him £12,000-a-week to do that, but I bet you Ryan Jack, if somebody had said to him, ‘Look, we’re going to give you a basic salary of £2,000-a-week but if you play on Saturday we’ll give you £10,000 an appearance’ [he’d have been interested].

“If Ryan Jack doesn’t play for the rest of the season it’s cost you nothing. But if he hangs around and does play, and by the way he’d have walked into that midfield at the weekend, if he was fit enough to do so of course.

“I think they are missing experience and that’s a strange one. I think there was a deal to be done with Ryan Jack… he’s the sort of guy you should be looking to keep around, especially when you’re light on bodies.”

Philippe Clement lost Ryan Jack and John Lundstram from Rangers

When Lundstram and Jack departed as their contracts expired there were few major complaints as it had become evident that a rebuild was needed, although the suggestion of a similar pay-as-you-play deal immediately emerged [David Tanner, 1 June].

The Scottish midfielder, as with Kemar Roofe, could not justify the investment after so many injury issues, and the assumption was they would be replaced.

Connor Barron was the only new signing to start at Tynecastle and looks like he could end up being an upgrade on Lundstram at least.

But with the season now under way and so much of the rebuild still not done it arguably brings the Jack exit into sharper focus.

A one-year extension was done with Leon Balogun and if the terms suggested by Jackson were viable with Jack perhaps that would have been a solid insurance option at this stage, and potentially could still be.

He told PLZ Soccer (30 July) he hasn’t got another club lined up so if Clement gets desperate he could revisit the possibility.

But it is not the direction that most supporters want to see the club heading in so Clement landing his own people would be the preferred outcome.

However, with the required exits not getting pushed through quick enough at present the manager and the supporters are being left frustrated.

In other Rangers news, Clement could still be sacked at Ibrox despite his new deal after an “embarrassing” situation claims Chris Sutton.

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