Kyle Lafferty has had his contract at Ibrox terminated by mutual consent, Rangers have confirmed
The club released a statement confirming that Lafferty has left the Glasgow club, making him the fourth recent departure after Daniel Candeias, Jak Alnwick, and Ryan Hardie.
The reports come shortly after Steven Gerrard told the press that a deal to move Lafferty on was close.
“I’m told Kyle Lafferty is close to finding a solution from a mutual point of view,” said Gerrard.
“I think there’s something loading there that might be released today or tomorrow so we wait and see.”
The Rangers boss also reiterated that he held talks with all the players who were surplus to requirements to tell them so. Lafferty is clearly one of them.
The big Northern Irishman re-joined Rangers last summer after leaving in the aftermath of 2012.
There were high hopes that Lafferty could recreate the form that made him an important player in big games for Walter Smith’s Rangers side.
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But after a good spell with Hearts, things just didn’t seem to go right for the lanky striker at Ibrox.
Lafferty started reasonably well in his second spell at Rangers, scoring a double away to Motherwell in early season.
But a lack of form and off-field issues clearly affected the player’s confidence and he tumbled further and further down the pecking order in Steven Gerrard’s side.
It seemed to be curtains for the striker in April after he was reportedly told he had no future after a bounce game against a Liverpool XI [Herald].
Lafferty has since been linked with Apollon Limassol [Scottish Sun],
clubs in the Middle East, and Thailand’s Buriram United [Daily Record].
With the player set to leave Rangers by mutual consent, the 31-year-old Ulsterman will soon be free to speak to anyone he pleases.
It’s frustrating that Rangers couldn’t recoup the fee they spent on the striker, which was reportedly upwards of £200k.
