Heading into the summer transfer window, there were fears that Rangers would have to sell Jack Butland in order to fund what is proving a troublesome rebuild.
But like so much at Rangers going into the summer, things haven’t quite turned out as we thought they would.
England manager Gareth Southgate might’ve been justified in leaving Butland behind at Euro 2024, but it doesn’t make the Rangers number one any less of a top Ibrox asset.
As a result it was claimed that Rangers are braced for Premier League interest in Jack Butland this summer.
But so far, nothing has arrived.
With Rangers also potentially set to raise the club’s necessary transfer fees through the sales of as many as seven Ibrox players, an essential exit looks increasingly unlikely.
And even more so after a team of confirmed January suitors from the Premier League move elsewhere in this window.
Butland suitors move elsewhere
It’s clear Nottingham Forest held a firm transfer interest in Jack Butland in January.
Rangers goalkeeper Butland has even said as much.
But what is also clear is that the Rangers goalkeeper, now 31, was not interested in going anywhere after finding a home in Glasgow last season.
Whilst that failure to earn an England place sent a firm message to Butland regarding his Ibrox future, it’s not a sentiment that we believe has changed.
With Butland first in line for the captaincy should James Tavernier leave Rangers, there’s even less incentive to leave now.
Back in January, Nottingham Forest splashed out a reported £6m to sign Strasbourg goalkeeper Matz Sels but the Premier League side were known to be in the hunt for more reinforcements this summer.
But any notion the City Ground club might return for Jack Butland has just been quashed after Forest announced the signing of Brazilian goalkeeper Carlos Miguel.
According to the Athletic, Forest have paid £3.4m to sign the stopper from Corinthians in Brazil.
Rangers slap hefty price tag on goalkeeper
For the time being at least, Jack Butland remains a Rangers player.
There has been some upheaval in the goalkeeper position this summer however, with Jon McLaughlin leaving the club at the end of his contract.
In has come ex-Gers academy star Liam Kelly following the expiration of his deal at Motherwell.
In the search of game time, Robby McCrorie is also reportedly closing in on a move to Kilmarnock.
With the window entering a crucial stage, it’s hard to imagine the club letting Butland go as the summer bottlenecks but as always in football, money talks.
Reports have suggested that Rangers value Butland up to £15m and if anyone should put such a figure, you get the feeling it would be very hard to say no.
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