Liam Kelly on verge of Rangers transfer as budget takes hit at Ibrox
Rangers are on the verge of signing Motherwell goalkeeper Liam Kelly on a free transfer after the club missed out on a windfall of cash, according to the Daily Record.
The newspaper reported [27 May, page 40] that the Gers are closing in on a deal to sign the soon-to-be free agent but will have to do so after missing out on a £500,000 bonus.
It is understood that the club were set to receive that windfall if Glen Kamara and Leeds United were to achieve promotion to the Premier League, but fell short as they lost 1-0 to Southampton in the Championship play-off final.
Rangers handed timely Liam Kelly boost as club budget suffers
The 28-year-old shot-stopper will be a welcomed addition this summer, especially on a free transfer as the Gers’ budget takes another blow. He will know Ibrox like the back of his hand, having been at the club between 2006 and 2018.
An extra £500,000 could have made a huge difference in the transfer window, though Philippe Clement will need to sell a handful of players if he is to finish the rebuild at Ibrox.
Clement and Nils Koppen have already begun their squad rebuild, having confirmed the signing of previous target Jefte from Fluminense, a player Rangers wanted in January.
With Borna Barisic set to leave this summer, Jefte looks like a brilliant addition at left-back, and Kelly may also be needed if Jack Butland is to depart the club after just one season in Scotland.
Kamara still seems to be haunting his former club, however, having suffered Championship play-off final heartbreak at Wembley Stadium, which has seemingly affected on Rangers’ transfer period.
Of course, the club will have had a plan put in place already, so the extra windfall would have only been a bonus and a possible cash injection if other clubs were playing hard to get over a transfer this summer.
In other Rangers news, another first-team player is now set to seal Ibrox as summer exodus continues.
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