Rangers must keep David Bates at Ibrox this summer.
Rangers haven’t quite hit their recent heights in their last three games, as they have picked up just one point from their last three outings under Graeme Murty.
After a 3-2 home defeat to Celtic, Rangers have lost 1-0 at home to Kilmarnock and drawn 2-2 at Motherwell, and need to get back to winning ways soon if Murty is to stand a chance of landing the job permanently.
Murty’s future is one decision for Rangers to contemplate, and they must also prioritise the future of defender David Bates, given that he is out of contract at the end of the season.
One of Mark Warburton’s 2016 signings from Raith Rovers, Bates has developed into one of Rangers’ most reliable defenders, and his progress means that a new deal is absolutely imperative.
The Gers don’t look nearly as secure with Bruno Alves, Fabio Cardoso or Russell Martin at centre back, and that shows just how much Bates is missed – and how much they would miss him if he leaves this summer.
Since Bates went off injured against Celtic, Rangers have conceded five goals in the last 255 minutes, compared to just two goals conceded in the previous three games in which Bates played 90 minutes.
It’s only a small sample size, but Bates has a huge future ahead of him and is already vital to Rangers’ defensive stability, and must be kept at all costs as his contract draws ever closer to its end.
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