Peterborough United director Barry Fry has played down speculation linking star striker Jonson Clarke-Harris with a move to Scottish Premiership champions Rangers, while speaking to the Peterborough Telegraph.
As the Glasgow giants outplayed and outscored Real Madrid in a pre-season friendly on Sunday, the story was one of strikers old and new.
Fashion Sakala, on his first Rangers start, was ferocious and fearless, marking his full debut in front of a rapturous Ibrox crowd with a clinical second-half finish.
The winner, meanwhile, was scored by a man who looked in grave danger of slipping even further down the pecking order following Sakala’s arrival.
Brilliantly finding the bottom corner after turning on a sixpence, Cedric Itten offered a timely reminder of his qualities against the 13-time European champions.
With Kemar Roofe, Jermain Defoe and Alfredo Morelos also at Gerrard’s disposal, Rangers have five strikers of differing qualities at their disposal on the eve of the new campaign.
So it’s hard to imagine the Glasgow giants renewing their interest in the £5 million-rated Clarke-Harris between now and the end of August.
‘JCL’ might have scored 33 times as Peterborough secured their return to the Championship last term, but there is simply no room at Ibrox for yet another number nine.
Are the Jonson Clarke-Harris to Rangers rumours over for good?
“I’ve heard nothing from Rangers about Jonson since the back end of last season. They watched a lot of our games back then,” said Fry. “But (in the last two months) I’ve never heard anything official.
“In May, we spoke to Rangers about George Edmundson and at no point did they bring Jonson into the conversation so I guess it was just paper talk, or agent talk over the weekend.”
Clarke-Harris has also been linked with the likes of Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion, among others.
The Baggies, however, must sell before they buy. And until Sam Johnstone or Matheus Pereira leave The Hawthorns, it seems Peterborough will not have much to worry about.
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