Rangers have missed an opportunity as Blackburn Rovers have signed Ibrox-linked winger Dilan Markanday from Tottenham.
Rangers were first credited with interest in Markanday last month by the Evening Standard.
His Spurs contract was running down and the London club were said to be keen to tie him down to a new deal, before sending him out on loan.
RONALDO NEEDS TO STOP WHINING.
However, it was also said that a permanent exit couldn’t be ruled out, with Celtic, Bournemouth, West Brom and QPR amongst the other clubs linked.
Blackburn snap up Rangers-linked winger
On Tuesday morning, a permanent move was confirmed, but not to any of the aforementioned clubs.
Championship high-flyers Blackburn swooped in and snapped up the 20-year-old on a three-and-a-half-year deal.
“He seems enthusiastic, he’s a lovely kid who I hope has got the mindset that’s going to make him better and better,” said Rovers boss Tony Mowbray.
“He’s a real threat, he’s really direct and I think the fans will love it when he picks it up, skips inside, drives towards the box and shoots. That’s what he does, he gets people off their seats.”
Markanday is one of many wide players Rangers have been linked with in recent times and while he lacks senior experience, having made only one Spurs first-team appearance, his numbers at U23 level are excellent.
From 14 Premier League 2 appearances over the first half of the season, he scored 12 goals and notched five assists.
The Daily Mail have reported that Blackburn paid an initial fee of £500,000 to land the winger, which would surely have been doable for Rangers following the club-record sale of Nathan Patterson to Everton earlier this month.