Nathan Patterson could leave Rangers this week – report
Rangers’ official media partner Heart & Hand podcast have reported on Twitter that Nathan Patterson is expected quit Ibrox to join Everton this week.
According to The Times journalist, Paul Joyce, Everton are closing in on a deal to sign the 20-year-old full-back.
Rangers are likely to pocket a club-record fee of around £12million, rising to £16 million, from his sale.
Heart and Hand have suggested that the Toffees have agreed on his sell-on clause, and the deal now should go through. They wrote on Twitter:
“Stumbling block was a sell-on clause. Now that Everton agreed to that I’d expect this to go through this week. Fee around £12m rising to £16m with add-ons plus sell-on. Everton paying most of initial fee up front.
Unfortunate
Patterson is a bright young talent at the club, and Barry Ferguson described him as “exceptional”.
The youngster is already a regular Scotland international, and whenever he took the pitch, he looked so assured, for both club and country.
However, he mainly plays as a right-back, and that place is occupied by the club-skipper, James Tavernier.
Patterson has only started six times for Rangers this season, and he needs regular games for his development, something Giovanni van Bronckhorst cannot assure him of that role.
Rangers are left with a little option here. They are looking to get the best deal out of his transfer, and the money being quoted will eclipse the price Tottenham Hotspur paid for Alan Hutton in 2008 [The Athletic].
It remains to be seen whether the Gers reinvest this money in buying another full-back this season. As it stands, the deal looks as good as done.
In other Rangers news, a player will decide on which team to join in the coming days amid interest from Ibrox.