The West Brom star is in need of a club and Rangers are in need of a marquee signing.
It wasn’t too long ago that Tottenham Hotspur were launching bids in excess of £20 million at the feet of West Brom, so desperate were they to sign England’s next star centre-forward, according to Sky Sports.
Who knows what would have happened if Baggies chairman Jeremy Peace had not remained so stubborn, believing his prized asset would be worth even more given the space and time to develop away from the pressure of a Premier League title fight. Would Saido Berahino have prevented Spurs from crashing out of the Champions League before Christmas, the speedy, ice-blooded understudy to Harry Kane?
Away from the hyperbole, the facts are these; Berahino has scored just four times in the Premier League since that fateful 2015 deadline day. He’s spent more time in a French fitness camp than he has on the pitch this season. And, crucially, his contract expires in June. West Brom would be lucky to get £25 for his services, let alone £25 million.
According to the Express and Star, Berahino rejected the offer of a new deal at the Hawthorns back in November but what club would want him now? Certainly not Spurs. Even at the height of Berahino-hype, questions were being asked about his maturity and professionalism. Now, people are querying his quality.
Even Stoke City and Crystal Palace, who both made bids of around £20 million in the summer according to the BBC, are likely to think twice and they are hardly blessed with a cacophony of reliable goalscorers.
Therefore, that leaves Berahino in limbo, in need of a fresh start. Fortunately for him, there’s a club who are making quite the habit of signing out-of-contract, English-based players under the age of 24 in need of a fresh start. In fact, it become their transfer policy.
Rangers manager Mark Warburton confirmed last week in quotes reported by the Birmingham Mail that the Glasgow giants were actively seeking out players whose deal would be expiring in the coming months as, unlike in England, they do not have to pay an inflated fee at a tribunal.
It’s the same system that allowed Celtic to pick up Moussa Dembele from Fulham for pocket change. These days, he’s worth 40 times the £500,000 they gave Fulham for his services, The Mirror report.
Therefore, it’s more than conceivable that Warburton would be keen on making contact with a player who will be free to sign a deal with a non-English based club in January.
And, who knows, life away from the goldfish bowl of the Premier League could do one of the most natural talents around some good – he should certainly find goals easier to come by in a league of lesser quality.
Now, Rangers fans may be understandably wary of the prospect of a controversial character sauntering into Ibrox post-Barton. Yet, unlike the ageing 34-year-old midfielder, the worse case scenario is a quick profit.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
