Rangers get major update on free transfer that will change everything at Ibrox

Rangers have been told that they are “in danger” of losing talented young midfielder Bailey Rice on a free transfer next summer in a deal that will force the Ibrox side to overhaul their youth policy.

Rice has made 16 appearances for the Ibrox club but just one of these has come this season as he has found his way to the first team barred.

Consequently, the Glasgow giants have been unable to agree a new contract with the 19-year-old, who could depart in 2026 as a free agent. The Daily Mail reports that Aston Villa, Sunderland, West Brom and Cardiff City are all tracking the Scottish teenager.

Once seen as the biggest prospect in Scottish football while at Motherwell’s academy, where he was rated higher than Lennon Miller, who is now with Udinese, the midfielder has failed to translate that into first-team appearances.

He did play against Manchester United in a key Europa League tie last season at Old Trafford, where he equipped himself admirably, but such appearances have been all too fleeting.

Attitude problems?

While much of the blame has been placed on the shoulders of the Glasgow giants, the Mail suggests that Rice’s mentality has been a major factor.

“There’s been talk around Rangers for quite some time now that Rice’s attitude has been a key factor in why he has failed to push on,” Calum Crow writes.

“When young players fail to make the grade or live up to the hype, it’s easy to point fingers at clubs for not developing them properly.

“Sometimes, however, the kids also need to look in the mirror and ask if they’ve applied themselves properly.”

Watershed deal for Rangers

The future of Rice is fundamental to understanding how Rangers’ deal with young players going forward.

Should the Ibrox club lose one of its brightest prospects for nothing, it will force those at the top of the club to analyse what went wrong in this case and how to stop it happening again.

Scottish Premiership clubs have been dogged by losing their best young talents to England in recent years, with Billy Gilmour notably leaving Rangers for Chelsea and Ben Doak departing Celtic for Liverpool in two of the more high-profile deals in recent times.

Rangers must aim for this flow to stop, but their inability to integrate Rice into the first team raises questions on the effectiveness of their methods at present.

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