All my players are for sale but you’d have to break the bank for my captain, says Gerrard
RANGERS boss Steven Gerrard has warned Brighton and Hove Albion they will have to break the bank to land Ibrox captain James Tavernier.
The 26-year-old, who signed a new contract last month, is a January target for Chris Hughton’s English Premier League side.
Brighton sent scouts to Ibrox to watch Tavernier against Rapid Vienna on Thursday as he set up a goal for Alfredo Morelos and scored the vital second from the spot in a 3-1 Europa League win.
Tavernier, named in UEFA’s Europa League team of the week, has previously been on the radar of West Brom and Swansea.
Admitting he would be surprised if his skipper did not have admirers, Gerrard told Brighton chief executive Paul Barber that the former Wigan right-back will not be allowed to leave on the cheap.
Speaking after yesterday’s 3-1 home league win over leaders Hearts, the Rangers boss said: ‘I know the CEO at Brighton (Barber) very well. I used to work alongside him at the FA. He’s got my number and he knows where I am.
‘But he best go to the owners and ask for an awful lot of money if he wants James Tavernier.
‘That goes for any CEO, any owner, any club that wants my captain. Go to the bank and get an awful lot of money out — or he’s not going.
‘I would be surprised if teams don’t come (for Tavernier) because he’s been absolutely fabulous for me.
‘Every player has their price but if the price is not right then he does not go anywhere. He stays as my captain.’
Gerrard admitted that if the right money is offered, all of his Rangers squad are available for purchase.
But he vowed there is no chance that any player will be allowed to leave until their new, inflated valuations are met.
‘All my players are for sale,’ said Gerrard. ‘Let’s get it out in the open. Every single one of my players is for sale. They have all got a price. But they are not the old prices. It’s the new prices. So if you want them, then come with loads of money and you can have them.’ Gerrard will reward players who are not involved during the upcoming international week with a rest after their contributions to fine wins over Rapid Vienna and Hearts. ‘There will be a different schedule for different players,’ he confirmed. ‘We have international players who are going away and we wish them good luck.
‘But we’ve got players who have played big volumes of games and we will give them some time off.
‘They will still have a fitness plan while they are away but they will have a mental break away from the training ground.
‘We also have players coming back from injury and new players who need football so we will arrange a closed doors game to get them up to speed. The likes of Graham Dorrans, Ryan Jack, (Gareth) McAuley and others.’