Ryan Jack: Behind-the-scenes Rangers talks likely to start in January at Ibrox
Ryan Jack has said that he remains “relaxed” over his Rangers future, with talks yet to begin over extending his stay at Ibrox with a new contract.
The 31-year-old signed a one-year extension this summer under the management of Michael Beale and has proven to be integral to the early success under Philippe Clement this season, starting the Light Blues’ last three games in Nicolas Raskin’s absence.
Despite his regular involvement in recent weeks, the midfielder has said that talks are yet to begin over a new contract, but Jack is eager to once again extend his stay as long as his vision for the future aligns with the club’s.
As quoted by the Daily Record (11 November) he said: “I want to be at the top for as long as possible. There will probably be a chat (between Jack and the club). Maybe after Christmas and New Year, we’ll see where we’re at.
“I’ll see what the club’s vision is for next season and the season after that. We’ll take it from there. I’m quite relaxed about it because I was in the same position a year ago.
“I love playing for this club and I want to stay at the top for as long as I possibly can.”
Wait and see
Jack may not be one of the most exciting players in Rangers’ squad, but he has proven in the last few weeks that he is a valuable member of Clement’s team and is more than capable of doing a good job in the middle of the park when required.
The 31-year-old played the full 90 minutes in the Gers’ 2-1 win over Sparta Prague in the Europa League and went about his business excellently, winning both his tackles and coming out on top in three of his five duels both on the ground and in the air.
There is every chance that over the next two transfer windows, Clement will be keen to put his stamp on this Rangers squad by selling a few of Beale’s signings and bringing his players through the door and Jack could be one of those let go.
But should the Scottish international continue to impress as he has done in recent weeks, you would imagine Clement would be keen to extend his stay, even if he is likely to be less involved in a starting capacity.
As demonstrated by Beale, you don’t want to make too many unnecessary changes to your playing squad as it can prove costly. For the former Rangers boss, it cost him his job and Clement may need to learn from his predecessor.
In other Rangers news, the Light Blues are now reliant on a favour from Celtic to reach the FIFA Club World Cup