I HOPE PHONE DOESN’T RING
IBROX, TONIGHT, 7.45
FROM BACK PAGE Tavernier. West Brom moved for the English full-back but their offer fell well below Rangers’ £3million valuation.
The English window closes today at 5pm, less than three hours before the Light Blues kick off at home to Maribor in their Europa League qualifier.
And Gerrard said: “If that’s to happen in the coming hours it might have an effect.
“Windass and Tavernier? Two of my better players – that’s handy isn’t it?
“We’re at a club where every player has a price so that might impact us but we’ll have to deal with that if and when it happens.
“The players don’t know the team yet. At the moment I’m looking at my phone and hoping Mark Allen doesn’t call.
“We just need to focus on the game and prepare the team the best way we can for another difficult test.
“But I can’t sit here and say we won’t be affected. We might be. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Gerrard, who saw the red card for Alfredo Morelos at Aberdeen downgraded to a yellow, has pointblank denied claims from Bosnian club Krupa that Rangers have tabled a bid for striker Elvir Koljic.
He’s also cool on talk of a swoop for Croatia Zagreb frontman Armin Hodzic.
But he insists the arrival of Borna Barisic from Osijek does not jeopardise the position of Tavernier who has also been linked with a switch to Brighton.
The arrival of Barisic on the left could free up Jon Flanagan to perform on the other side of defence but Gerrard insists he’s exploring all options. He said: “I didn’t bring Jon in to be the right or left-back. I brought him in to play both positions.
“James is our captain and a very good attacking rightsided player. Borna can do the same down the left and it gives us the option to play with wing-backs if we wanted to play a back three or be bold and play with two attacking full-backs.
“Jon gives us the option to be more solid down one side whether it be the right or left. You must have different options as a defensive unit so you can use different formations and tactics.”
Gerrard also moved to set the record straight on the transfer fees paid for Barisic and Katic and says he’s found exceptional value for money.
He added: “Some of the numbers written are above what we’ve actually paid. I’ve read we spent £2.5m on Nikola – it was £1.5m. It’s also said we paid £2.5m for Borna. It was £1.5m.
“Our business has been good. If we don’t make another signing I’m happy with the squad we’ve got.
“Unless something major happens in the next 24 hours with someone making a bid for one of our players we can’t resist I’d be satisfied. If we can make another addition great.”
Meanwhile, Greg Docherty has moved to Shrewsbury on a seasonlong loan deal.