Tyler Roberts snub shows Rangers must act quickly over Lewis Macleod

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Glasgow Rangers are reportedly interested in bringing Lewis Macleod back to Ibrox as his contract runs down.

It has been reported by The Scottish Sun that Rangers are amongst the teams keen on signing Lewis Macleod as his contract runs into its final few months.

The 24-year-old left Ibrox for Brentford in 2015, but is now being linked with a potential return to the Gers with The Scottish Sun reporting that his deal at Griffin Park expires at the end of the season.

But the report adds that Steven Gerrard will have to see off competition from Leeds if he hopes to sign Macleod. Rangers perhaps have a potential advantage as they can discuss a pre-contract deal with the midfielder as soon as the January window opens while their rivals are relying on having a bid accepted by the Bees before talks can begin.

And given events of 12 months ago, Rangers must make sure that they take full advantage of their position if Macleod is one of Gerrard’s key targets.

The Daily Mail reported in January 2018 that the Gers wanted to sign Tyler Roberts, and had an opportunity to land the Wales international for just £300,000 as his West Brom contract ran into its final six months.

Leeds ultimately joined the race for Roberts – they were not mentioned in the initial report – and ended up signing the forward for £4 million on deadline day, according to the Daily Mail.

Roberts has shown glimpses of his potential since joining his current club, and would have arguably been a very good addition for the Gers given their current lack of attacking options.

Rangers may therefore, be wondering whether they should have acted quicker to get Roberts tied down to a pre-contract deal. With Macleod in a similar position this time around, the Gers should seriously look at trying to get a deal agreed as quickly as possible while Leeds potentially weigh up how much they are willing to pay for a player who could be available for nothing in the summer.