Glasgow Rangers were linked with bringing Oli McBurnie to Ibrox this summer and reportedly made a bid, but he is staying put.
Oli McBurnie has hinted to BBC Sport that staying at Swansea was always his preferred option this summer despite rumours that Steven Gerrard made a bid to bring the striker to Rangers.
McBurnie’s future had a major question mark lingering over it heading into the window. His superb spell at Barnsley during the second-half of last season suggested that there would be no shortage of takers if the Swans decided to make him available, and it appeared that Rangers were one of those interested in a potential deal.
The Sun on Sunday (01/07; page 59) reported that the Gers had even made a £4.5 million bid for the 22-year-old. But, as reported by BBC Sport, the Scotland international penned a new three-year deal at the Liberty Stadium and he has now hinted that leaving was never part of his plans once he had spoken to new Swans boss Graham Potter.
“The gaffer said he really wanted me to stay and he sees me as a big part of his team and that’s music to my ears. It was vital for me to be playing first team football.”
It certainly does appear to be a blow for Rangers to have not brought McBurnie to Ibrox this summer. With the number of new signings swiftly approaching double figures, Gerrard may feel that there are few areas of his squad that still need attention.
But one area that most definitely needs strengthening before the window closes is up front, with Alfredo Morelos and Umar Sadiq the only senior strikers within the squad following Eduardo Herrera’s loan exit.
And Rangers fan McBurnie will undoubtedly be amongst those who will be desperately hoping that Gerrard pulls off a fantastic striker signing before the window shuts – even if he is not the man to address that void in the squad.
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