Rangers winger Jordan Jones, who featured against Real Madrid on Sunday evening, is being targeted by Wigan Athletic, according to the Daily Record via Chronicle Live.
Jones spent the second half of last season out on loan at Sunderland after a disappointing first half of the campaign that included a high-profile breach of Covid restrictions.
He fared relatively well at the Stadium of Light – scoring three goals and notching four assists – with plenty of Black Cats fans gutted when he headed back to Ibrox.
The Northern Ireland international has spent the past few weeks trying to impress Steven Gerrard and has featured in a number of pre-season friendlies, including Sunday’s high-profile clash with Los Blancos.
He replaced James Tavernier for the final 18 minutes at Ibrox but despite getting into a number of promising positions, was unable to make a tangible contribution.
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It’s thought that he could well be on his way out of Ibrox before the window closes anyway, though, and the Daily Record reports via Chronicle Live that Wigan have set their sights on the winger.
The Latics have already captured Charlie Wyke from Sunderland and will need to provide the striker with service if their promotion hopes are to be realised.
It’s suggested that they watched Jones extensively during his loan stint at the Stadium of Light and are now primed to make a move.
The 26-year-old is contracted until 2023 so a cash bid will be required if they want to land him on a permanent deal.
Jones’ Rangers career has never really got going, despite flashes of promise such as his late Europa League Qualifying assist for Alfredo Morelos’ winner against Legia Warsaw in 2019 or his impressive goal at Motherwell in the Premiership last season.
Crucially, he’s lacked consistency in terms of performance, discipline and fitness, and now it probably is time for Rangers to cash in.
With the likes of Ryan Kent and Scott Wright very much ahead of him in the pecking order and the rapid Fashion Sakala also capable of playing out wide, he’s unlikely to be used very often anyway when the competitive action begins.
Meanwhile, two other Rangers fringe men could be set for temporary Ibrox exits to the same club.