Scott McDermott has had his say on the future of Joe Worrall, on the Record Rangers Podcast.
The 22-year-old centre-back has played 31 times for the Gers this season. He is due to return to Nottingham Forest at the end of the season when his loan deal expires.
However, his teammate, Connor Goldson has previously expressed his hope that the club would extend his stay [Daily Record].
Furthermore, earlier in the season, Steven Gerrard admitted a desire to keep hold of all his loan acquisitions [
Scottish Herald].
Yet, the Sunday Mail’s chief football writer believes a recent selection call hints the manager doesn’t believe a permanent deal is possible.
Nikola Katic returned to the starting XI for the fixtures against Motherwell and Hearts, with Worrall dropping to the bench.
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“That tells me, that the chances of Rangers getting Joe Worrall back next season are next to zero”, said McDermott on the Record Rangers Podcast.
He then went on to explain that because Gerrard hasn’t given up on a deal for Ryan Kent [Daily Mail], contrastingly, he expects the Liverpool loanee to start all four of Rangers’ final SPL fixtures.
Verdict
It’s hard to argue with these comments from McDermott.
Worrall’s demotion to the bench does suggest his time in Glasgow is coming to an end.
That might not be perceived as bad news by many Rangers fans, as the centre-half has been subjected to considerable criticism at various junctures this season.
There’s no doubt that, at times, he’s shown what a good player he could be.
But, even at that, his potential transfer fee would likely be prohibitive. He’s valued at £7.2 million, that’s more than any other Rangers player [Transfermarkt]. Furthermore, Forest reportedly turned down an £11.5 million offer from Burnley for his services last season [Daily Mail].
Therefore, there are multiple factors blocking a permanent move the 6ft 4′ defender.
If it means Katic gets more of a run next season, though, it’s unlikely too many Bears will be complaining.
