Aberdeen midfielder Ryan Jack looks set to move on to Rangers this summer.
Ryan Jack celebrates after scoring for Aberdeen
Rangers hero Mark Hateley has told The Scottish Sun that he would like to see Aberdeen midfielder Ryan Jack join the club on a free transfer this summer.
The Gers will be looking for considerable reinforcements this summer after a disappointing season, and recently-appointed manager Pedro Caixinha will certainly want to mould his own squad.
On Wednesday night, Rangers lost 2-1 at home to Aberdeen to further show just how far they must go to break back into the top two of the Scottish Premiership – and a move to raid Aberdeen could be on the cards.
Rangers want to lure Aberdeen captain Ryan Jack to Ibrox, and HITC Sport understand that the midfielder has snubbed a move to Barnsley in order to join the Gers on a free transfer this summer.
Jack, 25, has come up through the ranks with his hometown club, but with his contract expiring this summer, he is poised to leave Pittodrie after manager Derek McInnes revealed to BBC Sport that Jack has confirmed his intention to move on.
General view outside Ibrox
Jack has racked up almost 250 appearances for Aberdeen and would be a major addition for a Rangers midfield that has struggled through chops and changes over the course of the season.
Now, former Rangers hero Mark Hateley has spoken to The Scottish Sun about the move, and admitted that he wants to see young Scots join Rangers and flourish, with Jack one such player he wants to make the move.
Hateley believes that whilst Caixinha will use European connections to strengthen his squad, he thinks the key is bringing in Scottish players with character who can cope with the pressure of playing for Rangers – and thinks Jack is a stand-out player for Aberdeen, making him a smart addition for the Gers should the deal, as expected, go through.
Celtic’s Scott Brown (L) in action with Aberdeen’s Ryan Jack
“It will be tough for Derek McInnes to keep that group of players together in the summer because a lot of players will have been identified by so-called bigger clubs. It comes with success,” said Hateley. “Ryan definitely stands out for Aberdeen. He creates too — and that’s why Aberdeen are where they are. I think Rangers should be looking at Scottish players. It’s always good to have a nucleus of home-grown players.”
“I would imagine, with the contacts Pedro has, there will also be a lot of European influences coming to Rangers in the summer, hopefully of a good standard, with good mental strength. When I came here I was always told to win every game and it should be no different now. It’s what you need to do when you are at the big clubs. You have to bring in characters who can deal with that pressure and that’s what Pedro would have seen after the assessment of his players.”
“I’ve seen some world class players come to Rangers and crash and burn. It’s all about being able to handle games. Every game is a big game here. Every game is a Cup Final and it’s dealing with that. I think European players deal with that side of it better than homegrown players. If that’s what it takes to get Rangers challenging for a title, not challenging for second, then that’s what we need, but I’d still like to see good young Scots flourish at Ibrox — and Ryan Jack is one of them,” he added.
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