"I find it amazing" - Pundit reacts as Rangers eye Stoke City transfer | OneFootball

After the conclusion of the January window, there are still a number of ways in which clubs across the EFL and the continent can pursue their key targets.

These two methods come in the form of the free agent market, or where a player in the final months of their current contract can sign a pre-contract agreement between themselves and potential new employers - the contract will then come into effect on July 1st, at the start of the upcoming 2024/25 season.

Stoke City were one side active in the transfer window, in what was Steven Schumacher's first in charge at the Bet365 Stadium. This was shown in their striking department, as they added the services of Niall Ennis from Blackburn Rovers, but also parted company with the vastly experienced Dwight Gayle, who has since been linked with a plethora of Championship and League One outfits.

Pundit reacts as Tyrese Campbell's future in limbo

Another centre-forward who has an unclear future in Staffordshire is 24-year-old Tyrese Campbell, who has come through the Stoke ranks since signing from Manchester City as a 16-year-old for a reported £1.75m fee after settling it through a tribunal.

The striker burst onto the first-team picture on a more frequent basis in the 2019/20 season under Nathan Jones and Michael O'Neill, and despite a high amount of player turnover in recent years, Campbell has still seen regular game time despite injury problems.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, former England international defender Carlton Palmer issued his thoughts on recent links between Campbell and Glasgow Rangers amid the aforementioned uncertainty.

"Glasgow Rangers are once again pursuing the signing of the son of former Arsenal and Everton great Kevin Campbell, Tyrese Campbell," he began.

"However, Tyrese's contract is set to expire in the summer and Glasgow Rangers are mulling over the possibility of agreeing a pre-contract and getting his signature.

"Even though the player is out of contract in the summer, Stoke turned down a £1m offer from Hellas Verona in the January transfer window, which is a strange situation given Campbell's current predicament unless they believe once again that they can convince Campbell to put pen to paper once again in the summer," Palmer continued.

"Rangers could do a pre-contract with the player, who is a great talent and it's worth the risk when you can get him for nothing.

He concluded: "I find it amazing that Stoke have let the situation reach this stage, when you can lose such an important player for nothing. This would be a huge blow for the club, given he's one of the brightest young strikers in the Championship."

Rangers rekindle interest in Tyrese Campbell

As previously mentioned, this isn't the only time Campbell has been linked with a move north of the border in his career.

He was first touted for a move to Ibrox in 2020, with his father Kevin revealing how close he was to completing a move to the 55-time SPFL champions on another pre-contract agreement.

“I believe that he spoke to Rangers but he felt that at this time in his career and his development the best place was Stoke," Campbell stated at the time.

Stoke City must tie Campbell down to a longer contract

Although his game time has been limited this season through injury, Stoke must do all they can to extend his contract.

Whether that means he is assured to be a key man in Schumacher's plans moving forward as the former Plymouth boss looks to build an upward trajectory after years of decline and stagnation, or it simply increases his valuation remains to be seen.

However, they cannot afford to lose him for pittance, as it would be a huge blow to the squad and the club's financial situation.