Rangers deem Stoke City bid as ‘non-starter’ after only covering 40% of defender’s wage
Stoke City only offered to pay 40% of Rangers defender Ben Davies’ wages in their last-gasp loan attempt, according to the Heart & Hand Podcast.
The official Rangers partner reported via its Twitter account on Friday (1 September) that the Gers would have been expected to still pay the majority of his wages should he have made the move to the Championship.
This wouldn’t have provided Michael Beale with the resources to find a suitable replacement this late in the window, with the Light Blues still keen on a potential move for Leicester City defender Harry Souttar, who was hopeful of making the switch to Ibrox this summer.
Late rush
There isn’t much time left in the transfer window for Stoke to change their offer to secure Davies’ signature this summer and the two clubs couldn’t be much further apart on the terms of the deal unless they weren’t even negotiating.
Keeping Davies at Ibrox is much more worthwhile for the Light Blues than covering a majority of his wages for him to play elsewhere for a season and he has been a fairly steady performer when fit for Rangers during his time in Glasgow.
For Beale’s side to win at least one trophy this season, they’ll require strength in depth and on the surface, Davies provides exactly that should he remain at Ibrox beyond the transfer deadline.
Now that he is fit and ready for selection having recovered from the injury issues that have blighted him throughout pre-season, he may have to turn his attention to earning his place in the starting line-up in Glasgow, rather than returning to the Championship under Alex Neil.
In other Rangers news, Scott Wright looks likely to depart Ibrox before the end of the transfer window