Pundit identifies "stumbling block" for Rangers in Norwich City, Kenny McLean chase | OneFootball

Pundit identifies "stumbling block" for Rangers in Norwich City, Kenny McLean chase | OneFootball

In partnership with

Yahoo sports
Icon: Football League World

Football League World

·28 June 2024

Pundit identifies "stumbling block" for Rangers in Norwich City, Kenny McLean chase

Article image:Pundit identifies "stumbling block" for Rangers in Norwich City, Kenny McLean chase

FLW spoke to Carlton Palmer to discuss Kenny McLean's links with Rangers

Pundit Carlton Palmer believes that Norwich City should sell midfielder Kenny McLean this summer if the price is right, amid interest from Scottish giants Rangers.


OneFootball Videos


The 32-year-old Scotland midfielder joined Norwich City six years ago and is attracting interest from his homeland this summer, despite having two years left on his contract at Carrow Road.

It's been reported by Football Insider that Rangers are in the market for an experienced and quality central midfielder, and that they've made preliminary contact with the Canaries over a move for the 41-cap international.

However, it's been reported that a potential sticking point in any possible deal is McLean's £30,000 a week salary, which would be considered high by Rangers standards.

With two years left on his deal, Rangers would have to pay a relatively sizeable transfer fee to sign the midfielder, so it remains to be seen whether they'll complete the deal in the coming weeks.

Article image:Pundit identifies "stumbling block" for Rangers in Norwich City, Kenny McLean chase

Former England international and current pundit Carlton Palmer believes that McLean would be a good signing for Rangers, and if the Glasgow-based side meet Norwich City's asking price, they should sell him and replace him with a younger player.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Palmer said: "There is a major revamp going on at Glasgow Rangers this summer to make them competitive for next season.

“They’ve released a load of experienced players from the football club, and they have signed a lot of young players, so they are looking to bring in an experienced midfield player, and one of those players they’re looking at is Kenny McLean.

“Norwich City do not want to sell McLean, but with the player being 32 years of age, if the right offer comes in, I don’t believe they’ll stand in his way.

"32 isn’t particularly old, but clubs will be looking at that and saying if we get a good offer for him, we’ll let him go at that age, although Norwich are very clear about what they want to achieve in getting promotion, so it’s a chicken-and-egg situation.

“The stumbling block will be his reported £30,000 a week salary, and Rangers would be reluctant to pay that sort of money to the player, but we’ll have to see.

"They have opened initial talks with Norwich City to see where they can go with this transfer, and they’ve got to strike a balance between having young talent and senior professionals who can be relied on as mentors for the young crop in that group - and they see Kenny McLean falling into that category.

“Listen, at the end of the day he’s a good player, but this will all depend on the offer that’s made, and that’s got to be weighed up with his age and whether they should accept it or not.

“In my opinion, it’s better for Norwich to offload him if they get the type of money they’re looking for and if they can replace him with a younger player.”

It might be the right time for Norwich City to cash in on Kenny McLean

Article image:Pundit identifies "stumbling block" for Rangers in Norwich City, Kenny McLean chase

McLean is still a very important player for Norwich, and he captained the side last season, playing all 46 league games, playing 90 minutes on all but one occasion.

With this in mind, Norwich should only be looking to sell if Rangers make an attractive offer, and it's clear that the Canaries hold all the power when it comes to arranging a deal.

If Rangers make an offer that Norwich can't refuse, then McLean will depart, but if the offer isn't good enough, the midfielder will remain at Carrow Road and continue to play an important role.

However, McLean turns 33 next season, and this summer could be their last chance to cash in on him for a decent fee, so you could understand if the Canaries decided to sell him, despite being a key player last season.

This summer is also a bit of a fresh start at Carrow Road, with new manager Johannes Hoff Thorup coming in, and whilst McLean was popular under David Wagner, that might not be the case with their new boss.

View publisher imprint