Rangers outcast Michael O’Halloran could return to Ibrox next month.
St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright has told the Glasgow Evening Times that Rangers have indicated that they want forward Michael O’Halloran back at Ibrox next month.
Rangers swooped to land O’Halloran from St Johnstone back in January 2016, paying a considerable fee to take him to Ibrox – but he hasn’t quite lived up to expectations.
The former Bolton youngster was arguably misused by former boss Mark Warburton, whilst Pedro Caixinha certainly didn’t fancy the winger, and sent him back on loan to St Johnstone.
This term, the 26-year-old has notched five goals in 14 games for St Johnstone, a better strike rate than a number of Rangers attackers – and his future is now up in the air.
O’Halloran’s loan spell with St Johnstone runs until January, meaning Rangers must decide whether to sign an extension with St Johnstone, sell him on to another club or even bring him back to Ibrox.
Right now, it seems that the latter option is the most likely, despite the fact that Rangers remain without a permanent manager almost two months since sacking Caixinha.
St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright has told the Glasgow Evening Times that Rangers and director of football Mark Allen have indicated that they want O’Halloran to head back to Glasgow next month, potentially to give caretaker Graeme Murty another attacking option.
Wright added that, if O’Halloran is simply going to be a bit-part player for Rangers, then it’s better for him to stay with St Johnstone, and they are now waiting for the Gers to make their final decision.
“The indication from Rangers is they want Michael to come back,” said Wright. “But part of that process will be down to what he wants to do as well. I want to keep him but a few weeks ago Mark Allen indicated that they want him to head back to Ibrox. So we will have to see what happens when Michael sits down with them and talks about his future. If he’s just going back there to be a bit-part player then it might be in everyone’s interests for him to come back here.”
“If he goes we will have to replace him but it’s a case right now of just waiting to see what happens. It will be down to what Rangers want to do and if he can come back here then it will be down to the chairman and whether we have the money to keep him until the summer. There are a lot of things that can happen in January. I would like to have my business done for when the window opens but that isn’t the case right now. We will just have to see what next month brings,” he added.
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