Sky Sports have provided an update on Jermain Defoe’s situation at Rangers with the striker’s current contract set to expire in a matter of days.
Defoe has been at Ibrox since January 2019, when he signed on an initial 18-month loan deal from AFC Bournemouth.
(Photo by Ewan Bootman/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The former England international immediately fell in love with the club and has performed well in Glasgow, netting 32 times and notching ten assists from 72 appearances, many of which have been as a substitute.
Steven Gerrard confirmed earlier this month that the Gers had opened contract talks with his former international teammate [Sky Sports] and Defoe has hinted on several occasions that he’d like to stay on for another season, despite his relative lack of playing time during the 2020/21 campaign.
As things stand, he will become a free agent in a matter of days, with his current deal only running until the end of the month.
However, it still seems that there’s a chance he could remain with the club.
In an update posted on their Transfer Centre page on Tuesday evening, Sky Sports stated that discussions between the club and Defoe are still ongoing, before reasserting the forward’s desire to play in front of fans again after a season of behind-closed-doors matches.
The 38-year-old only played 627 minutes of football this campaign and the arrival of Fashion Sakala at Ibrox ahead of next season is likely to push him even further down the pecking order.
Yet, he’s hugely popular with supporters, many of whom see him as a superb ambassador for the club, so if an extension announcement does arrive in the coming days, it’ll be well received.
In other news, uncertainty surrounds the futures of three former Rangers stars following their current club’s shock relegation.