Rangers and Celtic are both linked with a move to sign Motherwell winger Elijah Just.
The 26-year-old made headlines recently, scoring two goals for New Zealand in their opening World Cup game against Iran.
Rangers surely will have loved Just’s performance, with the club keeping tabs on him even before the tournament began.
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Elijah Just expected to cost Rangers around £5m
Andy Halliday believes that Just’s display against Iran could see Motherwell demanding around £5m for his services.
The former Rangers man did not see them potentially being able to make their club-record sale this summer ahead of that game, but things have now changed.
Despite the 26-year-old not being the strongest and of less than average height, he has shown that he can deliver on the biggest of stages.
Rangers want to beat Celtic to sign Just, but he is not likely to come on the cheap.
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Halliday said: “My favourite player to watch was undoubtedly Elijah Just. When I first saw him, I thought, ‘He’s going to get eaten alive in Scottish football!’
“He’s 5ft 6in, the size of my pinky, no real pace, no real power. But when your brain is faster than anybody else on the pitch you can make football look easy.
“And he’s got the heart the size of a lion for somebody so small. His desire off the ball is fantastic. Before the World Cup, I didn’t think it would have got to Lennon Miller fee (£4.7m) type of numbers.
“But he scored a double in the first game of the World Cup. What can he do in the coming games? Motherwell will certainly be asking for a pretty penny for him. They have Tawanda Maswanhise, who finished top goal scorer in the league last season, as well.”
How Motherwell hold the bargaining power in the Just saga
The beauty of the World Cup is that it produces memorable moments for fans and can make the careers of particular players.
Just, while being a household name in Scotland, was relatively unknown to the rest of the footballing world.
He is also in a country that’s ranked the lowest in the World Cup, so nobody had any real expectations from them.
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However, it did not take long for him to put the entire world on notice, scoring two goals in the Kiwis’ opening game.
Now, Motherwell hold the upper hand, and despite his contractual situation, could look to demand top dollar for his services.
Rangers and Celtic both know that signing the winger will boost their chances of winning the title, and they could look to begin initial talks with his representatives.
