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Now valued at £25m, will Rangers’ rue failure to sign James Maddison?

Rangers manager Graeme Murty is seen during the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership match between Rangers and Kilmarnock at Ibrox Stadium on March 17, 2...
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Scottish Premiership giants Rangers were interested in signing James Maddison from Championship club Norwich City in the summer of 2017.

Graham Dorrans of Rangers vies with Louis Moult of Motherwell during the  Betfred League Cup Semi Final between Rangers and Motherwell at Hampden Park on October 22, 2017 in Glasgow,...

Graham Dorrans’ debut season at Rangers has been impressive, when he has not been stuck on the sidelines with injury that is.

But he was not the only Norwich City midfielder linked with a move to Ibrox last summer. And, while Dorrans has been far from a disappointment, Rangers fans should be looking at the failure to sign his former Canaries’ teammate James Maddison as a major missed opportunity.

The Coventry Telegraph reported last spring that Rangers were keen to bring Maddison, who had spent the first half of that season on loan at Aberdeen, back to Scotland. Scout Jonatan Johansson even made the lengthy trip to Anglia to watch the play-maker in person.

James Maddison of Aberdeen during the Betfred Cup Semi-Final match between Greenock Morton and Aberdeen at Hampden Park on October 22, 2016 in Glasgow, Scotland.

And, one year on, Maddison has emerged as arguably the most coveted player outside the Premier League.

According to the Sun (27 March, page 55), the 21-year-old is now certain to leave Norwich this summer, on the back of a stunning breakthrough season in which he has scored 13 often spectacular goals and set up another seven in an otherwise disappointing campaign for Daniel Farke’s side.

James Maddison of Norwich City celebrates scoring his sides first goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Ipswich Town and Norwich City at Portman Road on October 22, 2017 in...

It is understood that bona fide Premier League giants in the shape of Tottenham, Everton, Liverpool and Manchester City are all very interested in a player Norwich value at £25 million – ten times the fee they paid Coventry City two years ago.

If only Rangers had stumped up for Maddison last summer.