Rangers ‘highly unlikely’ to sign James Sands permanently from New York City FC in summer
Rangers are “highly unlikely” to sign James Sands permanently when his loan from New York City FC expires in the summer, according to the Daily Record.
The American joined the club under Giovanni van Bronckhorst on an 18-month loan deal from the MLS, and has played in midfield and central defence since his arrival.
There is a £4m clause to make the deal permanent, but with Michael Beale not using him much since his arrival at the club it’s now regarded as a long shot that he remains at Ibrox beyond the summer.
“He’s on loan from New York City with an option to buy but whether they activate that like they’d be keen to do with Malik Tillman’s Bayern Munich deal is another question,” they wrote (16 February).
“Highly unlikely given the £4million-plus fee it would take. The versatile midfielder has rarely featured under Beale and is expected to return to America during 2023’s MLS season.”
Right decision
There is no way on Earth that Rangers should be splashing £4m on signing James Sands from the MLS on a permanent deal after his stint here so far.
Sands has never really convinced fans that he is of the required level to be a regular at Ibrox, and his stint in central defence earlier this season led to countless mistakes and poor results.
£4m is a lot of money in the Scottish Premiership and if it’s being used to sign a player who isn’t good enough for the starting lineup, then it’s quite obviously a waste of money.
That money could be put to much better use by signing a new goalkeeper, a new striker and a new midfielder like Beale has asked for while also clearing out the dead wood without trying too hard.
He’s tried his best, but it’s quite clear Sands isn’t good enough and the club shouldn’t think twice about shipping him back to the States at the first opportunity.
In other Rangers news, ace “almost certain” to leave Ibrox this summer according to one report.