Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard reportedly wants former Gers striker Kyle Lafferty at Ibrox, but Steven Naismith wants him to stay.
Steven Naismith and Kyle Lafferty at Rangers at Ibrox
Rangers are reportedly on the hunt for Kyle Lafferty, with The Express claiming that Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox club have already made a bid for the Heart of Midlothian forward.
According to The Express, Rangers have seen their initial offer of £300,000 for the Ibrox forward turned down by Scottish Premiership rivals Hearts, who reportedly value the former Norwich City forward at £750,000.
Hearts manager Craig Levein has confirmed that Rangers have made a bid for the Northern Ireland international.
Levein has admitted that Lafferty’s head has been turned by the Gers’ reported interest, while his Hearts teammate Steven Naismith hopes that the former Burnley forward does not leave in the summer transfer window.
BBC Sport quotes Levein as saying: “We just get on with things. We had an offer from Rangers, which is not what we are looking for, and we just get on with it.”
“We’ve spoken to Kyle and his head has been turned a little bit,” added Levein. “But, to his credit, he has been very professional and I was pleased with his performance when he went on.”
The Scottish Sun quotes Naismith as saying when asked if he would be disappointed to Lafferty leave Hearts: “I think so. He’s a big character around the place but also he’s a good footballer.
“He scored a lot of goals last season and probably this season is one he needs to go again because there’s competition for places.
“So hopefully the club can keep him and we can move on. He’s a character that doesn’t really change no matter the circumstances.”
Steven Naismith’s Rangers link
Interestingly, Steven Naismith was linked with a move to Rangers in the January transfer window.
The Scottish Sun claimed in January that the 31-year-old Scotland international – who can operate as an attacking midfielder or as a forward – was willing to join Rangers on loan from Norwich City in the Championship in England.
The former Everton attacker was on the books of Rangers from 2007 until 2012.
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