The Summer Transfer Rumour Round-up Thread

[colinstein 294]

you'd think he'll cost a lot of money, but if the magic hat's got a budget it's up to him how he spends it

Danny Ings on loan (he's recovering from a cruciate ligament) so that might just be a goer

[rbr 1,247]

Ings played today mate

 

 

[Germinal 27]

John Terry? Off to the US, surely.

[trublusince1982 243]

Asked a guy I know who scouts in America for the low down on fernando Adi this is what he said....

 

Tall, typical #9. He's a goal scorer. Very good player. Good feet and technical ability given his size. Think he has 7 goals from 11 games so far this season over here. Would definitely be a good addition!!

 

At Portland, they play a lot of balls into him. He's very good at holding off the defenders and his positioning is very good in terms of being able to break the defensive line and create space for himself. He reads the game well and understands the difference between risk & reward. Would do very well over there.

[pete 2,499]

keith jackson ‏@tedermeatballs 27s27 seconds ago

Nite folks. Get tomorrow's paper to find out the latest on Rangers move for Barton and another former Premiership star.

[Craigy1881 79]

So Niko Kranjcar being the one. 31 years old. Once upon a time was a good player. No idea what he is like now.

[Frankie 8,149]

Hmmm, there's no doubting the quality of the players linked are good but I'm another who has doubts about Barton's personality. Football-wise he'd be a fine signing but is he worth the risk?

 

Kranjcar is a bit underwhelming to me also. I'd rather sign a younger player with something to prove.

 

Ings would be fantastic but surely unlikely?

[the gunslinger 3,366]

I don't think Barton has issues anymore. The question is do you forgive his past.

 

When it includes stubbing a cigar out in a youth players eye I personally wouldn't.

[der Berliner 3,245]

Record and Keith Jackson understands ...

 

Rangers targeting former Tottenham star Niko Kranjcar after Mark Warburton flew to NEW YORK for talks

 

06:00, 16 May 2016 By Keith Jackson

 

IT'S understood he met the 31-year-old in person before hopping back across the Atlantic in time to give Joey Barton a VIP tour of Ibrox.

MARK WARBURTON flew to New York last week to open signing talks with former Spurs star Niko Kranjcar - before returning Glasgow to give Joey Barton a guided tour of the club's facilities.

 

And the Rangers boss stepped up his personal recruitment drive yesterday when he and assistant boss Davie Weir treated Barton to a round of golf at the exclusive Loch Lomond Golf Club.

 

But Record Sport can reveal Croatian international Kranjcar is another name near the top of the Rangers manager’s wanted list.

 

In fact, Warburton hopped on a plane to the States last week, just hours after watching his team prepare for the Scottish Cup Final with a closed doors victory over Spurs in London.

It’s understood he met the 31-year-old in person before hopping back across the Atlantic in time to give Barton a VIP tour of Ibrox and the club’s training base at Auchenhowie.

 

Kranjcar is currently signed with New York Cosmos after being released by Dynamo Kiev but Warburton hopes to tempt the well travelled playmaker into a return to British football, where he has enjoyed previous spells at Portsmouth and QPR as well as Tottenham - all under the management of Harry Redknapp.

 

Warburton has identified the attacking midfield man as an ideal candidate to fill one of the wide positions in his attack for next season’s Premiership.

 

Barton, meanwhile, is the man Warburton wants to anchor his midfield and it’s understood he has made it clear to chairman Dave King and the board that the 33-year-old former England international is his priority summer target.

Record Sport understands Rangers head of recruitment Frank McParland - who convinced Barton to sign for Burnley last summer - began secretly working on the deal as far back as two months ago.

 

Rangers believe the free agent is very keen to sign despite the offer of a one year deal to skipper Burnley in the Premiership.

 

It’s understood Rangers are prepared to offer Barton a three year deal in order to persuade him to set up home in Glasgow.

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-targeting-former-tottenham-star-7977166

 

 

Rangers FC: Harry Redknapp says Niko Kranjcar and Joey Barton would be a MASSIVE double-coup

 

06:00, 16 May 2016 By Craig Swan

 

MARK WARBURTON is fully aware that experience is required for the top-flight and Redknapp believes the duo fit the bill.

 

HARRY REDKNAPP believes signing Niko Kranjcar and Joey Barton would represent a massive double-coup for Rangers .

 

Ibrox boss Mark Warburton has targeted the high-profile duo as his rebuilding job for the club’s return to the Ladbrokes Premiership steps up into overdrive.

 

Warburton has enjoyed a good level of success in the transfer market since arriving at Ibrox.

 

So far, the policy has seen him attract talented youngsters such as Liverpool’s Jordan Rossiter and English lower-league fringe-men such as James Tavernier and Martyn Waghorn.

 

However, interest in Kranjcar and Barton has cranked the recruitment levels up a notch.

 

Warburton is fully aware that experience is required for the top-flight to help his impressive crop of younger starlets and Redknapp believes the experienced duo fit the bill.

 

One thing is for sure, no-one in the game knows Kranjcar better.

 

The Croatian international is currently in the United States with New York Cosmos having been released by Dynamo Kiev.

 

However, before these moves, the 31-year-old’s career was spent mainly in the UK and was shaped by Redknapp.

 

Having started at Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split, it was the Londoner who gave the playmaker his big break in England when he paid £3.5 million to sign him for Portsmouth after an impressive show at the 2006 World Cup Finals.

 

After the years on the South Coast, Redknapp moved him to the Capital in a £2 million switch to join countrymen Luca Modric and Vedran Corluka at Tottenham.

 

Having gone to Kiev after two years at White Hart Lane, the wily manager took him back to London again for a couple of years on loan at Queens Park Rangers.

 

Given that background, it’s little surprise that Redknapp feels Kranjcar will do a job for Rangers.

 

It’s understood Warburton travelled to the States last week, just hours after watching his team prepare for the Scottish Cup Final with a closed doors victory over Spurs in London, to speak with the player in person about a switch to Scotland as he looks to add a quality wide-man to his ranks.

Redknapp told Record Sport : “I’m not surprised, I’d take Niko all day long.

 

“He’s a fantastic player. Really technically gifted and a terrific footballer.

 

“I had a good relationship with Niko and he played for me quite a few times.

 

“The talent is there without question and the best part is that he’s a great lad as well to go with his ability.

 

“The key to getting the very best out of him is to keep him fit.

 

“All in all, he is a top-class player and would represent quite a signing for Rangers.”

 

If Kranjcar would represent a big-name capture, there is a fair argument to suggest that Barton’s signing would be even bigger and better.

 

Redknapp crossed paths with the fiery midfielder during their spell together at QPR.

 

Having taken over from Mark Hughes, he came back up to the Premier League through the play-offs after they went down in his first season.

 

It wasn’t all sweetness and light.

 

Barton was critical of Redknapp’s recruitment policy at one point and the manager was forced to defend his decisions.

 

In end, the player ended up away from the club and sent on loan to Marseille in France, where he rebuilt his reputation and won back recognition for being a top-class player as opposed to a troublemaker.Much water went under the bridge, but Redknapp has no doubts what he thinks about Barton when it comes to the football pitch.

 

He said: “Joey has been fantastic for Burnley in the Championship throughout this season.

 

“I recommended him to [manager] Sean [Dyche] and said he would do well for them and he did a really great job.

 

“He’s a good player and a good trainer and, like Niko, would represent a terrific signing.”

 

Now it comes down to whether or not Rangers can get the deals over the line, yet the signs are hugely positive for their supporters in terms of the standard of potential signing being identified.

 

Redknapp isn’t surprised given he always fancied Warburton to turn things around at Ibrox.

 

The pair were introduced during his days at Tottenham when assistant manager Tim Sherwood took the now-Rangers boss into the Training Centre at Spurs Lodge for a look around.

 

Redknapp followed the career of the manager as he put-together an excellent team at Brentford, which was in the fight for promotion until a disagreement brought a parting of the ways.

He predicted in Record Sport at the beginning of last season that Warburton would take good times to Ibrox and he has, so far, been proved 100 per cent correct.

 

Now it’s time for the next step with the return to the Premiership and Redknapp is sure signings of the quality of Kranjcar and Barton would bring a spark back to Scotland’s top-flight next term.

 

He said: “Niko and Joey are very different players and very different characters, but both are very impressive in their own ways.

 

“As I have said, it goes without saying that both of them would be really excellent signings for Rangers for next season.

 

“Probably more importantly, it would certainly make the league up there very interesting having two players of that quality signing up for Rangers as they go back to the top league.”

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-fc-harry-redknapp-says-7977951

[Frankie 8,149]

I've put together a main site article which I'll regularly update with the most likely/interesting rumours over the summer:

 

http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/news-category/current-affairs/627-rangers-transfer-rumours-and-deals-live-summer-blog

 

You can also rate each rumour yourself! Have fun...!