Back in June, Rangers were linked with a move for young Liverpool striker Rhian Brewster [Scottish Sun].
It was thought that Steven Gerrard would try to use his contacts at Anfield to strike a loan deal for the starlet, in the same way he had helped to bring the likes of Ryan Kent, Sheyi Ojo and Ovie Ejaria to Ibrox on temporary deals.
However, Brewster is a level above where that trio were at this early stage in his career.
The 20-year-old scored 11 times in the Championship for Swansea last season and then netted on multiple occasions for Jurgen Klopp’s side in pre-season.
Once it became clear that Liverpool were no longer prepared to sanction loan deals and were looking for a fee for the England youth international, Rangers were effectively knocked out of the running.
Young English players always sell for a premium and Saturday’s report in the Sun which claims that Brewster wants to join Crystal Palace for around £20m shows that the Gers never really had a chance.
The £7m Steven Gerrard convinced the board to part with for Kent last September was the most the club have spent on a player for many years and once price tags reach eight figures, Rangers simply can’t compete.
There’s a lot of debate around whether or not the Premier League is as high a standard as advertised but there can be no doubt that when it comes to spending power, it is on another level to most leagues around the world.
Sheffield United and Aston Villa have both also been linked with Brewster but at this stage, it looks as though Palace will win the race, with the player keen on a return to London.
It’s believed that Liverpool want to insert a buy-back clause, suggesting they know the forward is capable of going on to shine in the English top-flight.
