Rangers-linked bluenose Barry Douglas has made a surprise transfer decision by opting to rejoin Lech Poznan on a two-year contract.
The former Wolves and Leeds left-back, who grew up ‘five minutes from Ibrox’ [‘Talking More Shutt’ on Leeds United Fan Hub YouTube] was linked with a return to Glasgow.
The Lancashire Telegraph credited both Rangers and Celtic with interest, while the Daily Mirror said that Bristol City were leading the race for his signature, amid interest from Scotland, the US and Turkey.
Based on those reports, it looked as though Douglas had plenty of options, but none that involved returning to Poland.
Yet, on Friday, it was confirmed that he’s heading back to the club he previously played for between 2013 and 2016.
The 31-year-old won the Ekstraklasa title and Polish SuperCup during his first stint and now he returns with a lot more experience under his belt.
Rangers faced Lech Poznan in the Europa League group stages last season, triumphing 1-0 at home and 2-0 away, while they finished a disappointing eleventh out of 16 teams in the league.
Douglas not moving to Ibrox
Rangers fans won’t be overly shocked that Douglas isn’t heading for Ibrox, given that others always looked to be ahead in the transfer race.
The club is also pretty well-stocked at left-back. Borna Barisic is the undisputed first choice, while Calvin Bassey is his deputy and Academy talent James Maxwell is an exciting third option.
Douglas’ move back to Poland is a surprise one, but given that he’ll only be 33 when his contract there expires, it’s plausible that the Gers’ could yet turn to him in two years’ time as a cost-effective backup option.
One exciting player Rangers have already snapped up should soon report for pre-season after experiencing delays.
