Rangers’ determination to sign Hearts winger Jamie Walker appears to be paying off and Ian Cathro’s side even have a replacement lined up.
Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha
Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha may have already stamped his authority on the squad by embarking upon a major summer overhaul but one of his top targets remains, as yet, unsigned.
The Daily Record reported last week that Scottish Premiership rivals Hearts had rejected a second bid from Rangers for star winger Jamie Walker, scorer of 15 goals in a stunning 2016/17 season.
Despite the 23-year-old making it clear that he sees his immediate future elsewhere, most probably at Ibrox, Hearts’ hard-line stance has to be admired in this era of player power. The report claims that Rangers’ bid of £600,000 falls well short of the Edinburgh club’s £1 million valuation.
Yet it appears that, despite their united front, Hearts are planning for life without Walker next season. The Daily Record claims that they are resigned to losing Ian Cathro’s key man and have even identified a replacement.
Hearts’ Jamie Walker netted 15 goals last season
Though they will have to offer more than paltry £100,000 to convince Motherwell to part with 20-year-old winger Chris Cadden this summer.
A shining beacon of optimism in an otherwise depressing campaign, Well value Cadden at around half a million and Hearts will have to stump up a much larger fee to ensure that the future is bright even without Walker.
And this should be music to the ears of Rangers fans. Hearts have made it clear that they will not be bullied into a sale but the fact that they have a replacement lined up suggests it won’t be long before Walker is signing autographs outside of Ibrox.
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