Glasgow Rangers are reportedly keen on bringing Jake Hastie to Ibrox in the summer.
David Turnbull has admitted that he is trying to convince Jake Hastie to snub a move to Ibrox amid interest from Rangers, adding that he has been winding the winger up over his rapid rise and the transfer speculation now surrounding him, in comments reported by the Evening Times.
Hastie has made nine appearances for Motherwell since returning from a loan spell at Alloa, and he has scored six goals in all competitions, including one in the 3-0 win at the weekend.
The Evening Times reports that a number of sides, including Rangers, are interested in signing Hastie with his contract set to expire in the summer. But Turnbull insisted that he wishes to see the 20-year-old commit his future to Well, while he added that he has been teasing his mate over the links with a move to Steven Gerrard’s side.
“There’s been a wee bit of banter and I’ve been winding him up a bit,” Turnbull said, as reported by the Evening Times. “I hope he will sign a new deal here. I’ve been close pals with Jake since we were young and I’ve played with him all the way up, so hopefully he can get that sorted and we can continue to do what we’ve been doing in the first-team.
“He’s had very few games and he’s done so well. He’s scoring loads of goals and he’s set up a couple, so I don’t think you could ask for a better start. It’s up to him obviously, but what I would say to him is that he should stay here and try to get game-time, get 50 or 100 games under his belt and then see where the next step takes him. He’s still only a young boy. Obviously, [Rangers are] a big club, so it’s just up to him.”
It is going to be difficult for Hastie to maintain his current form over a longer period. But if he can manage anything like this run over a prolonged spell, then Rangers could be pulling off a fantastic deal, if they can get the youngster signed.
With Ryan Kent’s future beyond this season up in the air, the Gers may need to find a wide-man who can make something special happen out of little. And although Kent leaves extremely large shoes to fill, Hastie’s form suggests that he has serious potential.
Rangers’ concern however, may now be that if his current run continues, it may become more and more difficult to win the race to secure his signature as the interest from elsewhere is only going to increase.
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