Jack Butland news 'not ideal' for Clement at Rangers

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·19 October 2023

Jack Butland news 'not ideal' for Clement at Rangers

Highlights

Rangers face uncertainty as speculation surrounds goalkeeper Jack Butland's future at the club.
The 30-year-old has attracted interest from south of the border.
Philippe Clement takes charge of his first game against Hibernian at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon.

Rangers aren’t in an ideal situation with transfer speculation surrounding the future of goalkeeper Jack Butland at Ibrox, as transfer insider Dean Jones provides GIVEMESPORT with an internal update on Gers head coach Philippe Clement’s stance on the matter.

The Glasgow giants have recently appointed their new manager, hoping to challenge for the Scottish Premiership title and European honours this term. However, Clement must hit the ground running, with the Glasgow giants sitting seven points off the league's summit whilst suffering a disappointing defeat at Aris Limassol in their last Europa League group stage clash. But transfer speculation surrounding squad members could be Clement’s immediate concern.

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Having signed for Rangers during the summer transfer window, Butland looked to have found himself a home in Glasgow. The 30-year-old had just spent the second half of last season playing second fiddle to David de Gea at Manchester United on loan from Premier League outfit Crystal Palace. Returning to Selhurst Park this summer wasn’t an option for the former England international, who wanted to get a taste of first-team action this season.

Needing a goalkeeper to challenge Joe Hart was one of Rangers’ transfer priorities during the transfer window. Butland’s move to Rangers seemed a match made in heaven, with the stopper getting to prove and establish himself as the club’s first-choice option between the sticks.

Upon signing, Jones told GIVEMESPORT that the experienced star’s presence at Ibrox would lift the club. The Bristol-born star has played in every game for the club this season, including Premiership, Europa League and Viaplay Cup ties.

But according to The Sun, new Birmingham City boss Wayne Rooney is interested in signing Butland at St. Andrews. England’s second all-time top goalscorer was appointed to replace John Eustace for the West Midlands outfit this month.

Rooney wants to sign another goalkeeper but will have to rein in his spending until the second city club can move on some of their higher earners during the winter transfer window. The same report claims Butland would push to leave Rangers for a small sum to ensure a return to Birmingham in January.

The goalkeeper made his name for the Blues, appearing in Team GB’s Olympic team of 2012 when playing for Cheltenham Town on loan from the Championship outfit. And Butland could feasibly return to St. Andrew’s in 2024, hoping to lead the club into the Premier League for the first time since 2011.

Dean Jones update – Jack Butland

Jones claims that we will soon discover what Clement thinks of Butland and players like the stopper within the club. Concerningly for Rangers, the transfer insider believes the pull of Birmingham and Rooney will tug on the heartstrings. He told GIVEMESPORT:

“It's not ideal to be hearing talk about Butland and Birmingham. I think the player needs to be sure of this new vision quickly so he understands because if he's not, there might be the temptation to leave. The pull of Rooney and Birmingham is huge because both pull on the heartstrings a bit. But Butland is a very experienced player. We’ll soon find out what Clement thinks of him, players like him within the setup and what they'll mean to him going forward.”

Rangers transfer news

Butland isn’t the only player who could leave Ibrox in the coming months. According to TEAMtalk, Nottingham Forest remain interested in Rangers left-back Borna Barisic. The Croatia international has been offered a contract extension by the Glasgow giants but is free to speak with other clubs in January due to having six months remaining on his deal.

Forest monitored Barisic’s situation during the recent summer transfer window, but a deal never materialised. Turkish outfit Trabzonspor also made an offer for the experienced full-back, which Rangers rejected.

The Gers hope to cash in on Barisic’s services if he chooses against signing a contract extension, having lost Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos on free transfers at the end of last season.

Rangers upcoming fixtures

Clement makes his managerial bow at Ibrox on Saturday, when Rangers welcome Hibernian in a Premiership clash, hoping to close the gap to Celtic to four points.

The Gers then travel to the Czech Republic to take on Sparta Prague in their third Europa League group-stage clash, hoping to recover from a disappointing defeat to Aris Limassol. Rangers round off the month with the visit of Hearts on 29th October, hoping to compound a positive start to life under Clement.