Glasgow Rangers defender James Tavernier has been linked with a move away from Ibrox in recent times.
Tavernier has enjoyed another decent year at Ibrox and has arguably been one of the Light Blues’ better performers in a campaign which saw the side fall well short of the title-winners once again. He has still come in for criticism during the season, and perhaps that may tempt Steven Gerrard to consider his future if the new Rangers boss’ former manager comes in with a bid.
The Scottish Sun reported that Crystal Palace are plotting a £3.5 million move. And while letting Tavernier go would be a major risk, Gerrard may be forgiven for being tempted by a bid of that size if he feels that the seven-figure fee would hand his transfer plans a boost.
If he does decide to cash-in on Tavernier, then perhaps he should consider an approach for a former teammate who Hodgson seemingly hopes to replace with the Gers man this summer.
According to transfermarkt, Martin Kelly’s contract at Selhurst Park expires imminently, and that should tempt Gerrard to make a move for the 28-year-old – who Spotrac reports is currently earning £25,000-a-week with the Eagles.
Kelly came through the ranks at Liverpool, making 62 appearances for the Reds in all competitions before his departure in 2014. Many of those games for the Merseyside giants would have seen Kelly line up alongside Gerrard.
In total, Kelly has made over 120 Premier League appearances during his career so would perhaps be a superb replacement for Tavernier if the Rangers ace took his spot at Palace this summer.
And with his deal seemingly on the verge of expiring this summer, it would arguably be a very shrewd piece of business to earn £3.5 million for one player and replace him for nothing with a defender who boasts a lot of Premier League experience.
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