Kenny McLean seemed like a player who was destined to sign for Rangers at some point in his career.
Successful in the Scottish Premiership at two clubs, the box-to-box midfielder was once the perfect home grown midfield option.
A move might be on the cards for Kenny McLean, but it won’t be to Rangers, after Leeds United saw a bid rejected by the Canaries, as reported by Sky Sports.
Kenny McLean to Rangers ship has sailed
The fee, said to be £4m by Sky Sports, is exactly why Rangers haven’t tried to bring the former Auchenhowie trainee back to Ibrox.
Steven Gerrard seemed to be linked with McLean when he was at Aberdeen in every transfer window but nothing concrete ever emerged.
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With 30 Scotland caps, McLean is an experienced campaigner but it is a lot of money for a player with no sell on value and one who will turn 32 this season.
There is another aspect of this deal that might interest Rangers fans.
Glen Kamara has been close to leaving the club all summer and it is Leeds who are at the front of the queue according to Fabrizio Romano.
Until the announcement is made and the scarf is above his head at Elland Road though, there will always be trepidation that Kenny McLean is plan A for Daniel Farke and the Rangers midfielder is plan B.
The two players are completely different though and, if anything, they would probably dovetail quite nicely.
McLean likes to get up into the final third and support the attack whereas Kamara likes to link up play and let the others do the creating at the sharp end of the pitch.
It puts into perspective Rangers demands for Kamara though.
At some four years younger, twice the number of international caps and an even big gulf for appearances in Europe, £5m doesn’t seem so expensive in comparison to the £4m that has been rejected for a player who has spent most of his days in England’s second tier.
Maybe we should ask for a few more pound too.