Rangers were linked with bringing Steven Davis back to Ibrox this summer.
Southampton midfielder Steven Davis has told the Daily Mail that he has spoken to manager Mark Hughes about his future with the club after a lack of playing time.
Davis, 33, has been a first-team regular for Southampton ever since his 2012 move from Rangers, racking up more than 200 appearances for the Saints.
A Northern Ireland international with over 100 caps on the international stage, Davis is a veteran midfielder who still made 25 appearances for Southampton last term, but he is struggling for first-team football this season.
Davis has made just one appearance, and that came in the Carabao Cup win over Brighton and Hove Albion last month, with the midfielder well down the Southampton pecking order.
With Davis hoping to keep his international career going having played 90 minutes against Bosnia and Herzegovina, he has discussed his future with Saints boss Mark Hughes.
Davis has told the Daily Mail that it’s frustrating to be left out so much, and given his desire to play regularly, he may just have to consider his future at St. Mary’s Stadium.
“It’s quite open and we’ve had a chat,” said Davis. “I played in a cup game the other night and obviously it was good to get 90 minutes under the belt and I look forward to getting stuck into the games here as well. Ultimately it’s frustration, as it is for any player who isn’t playing. That’s the aim every week when you go to training and get yourself ready to play on a Saturday. But things in football can change very quickly as well.”
“Obviously I am coming off the back of the second half of last season where I was injured but the main focus during the summer and pre-season was getting myself right and fit. The body is feeling good and I am ready to go. I know what qualities are needed,” he added.
Over the summer, Sky Sports reported that Rangers were keen to bring Davis back to Ibrox, as they look to bring back some the players who left in 2012, such as Allan McGregor and Kyle Lafferty.
As seen in the 1-0 defeat to Celtic earlier this month, Rangers still lack a midfielder who can get on the ball and keep possession as well as create, and Davis would fit that bill, especially as Ovie Ejaria is only on loan from Liverpool.
Signing another veteran midfielder after Scott Arfield and Graham Dorrans may not be the smartest plan, but a short-term deal at the right price for Davis may just make sense for Rangers, and the midfielder himself would no doubt relish a return to Ibrox to join up with Northern Ireland teammates Gareth McAuley and Lafferty.
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