Scottish Daily Mail

MAN IN DEMAND

Now Rangers reject £8m Everton bid for Patterson

- By STEPHEN McGOWAN

RANGERS have kicked out a second Everton bid worth £8million with add-ons for right-back Nathan Patterson.

But the Ibrox club could still let Borna Barisic leave after the Croatian appeared to say an emotional farewell to Ibrox after yesterday’s 1-0 win over Celtic.

Expected to deputise for missing skipper James Tavernier, Patterson was ordered to selfisolat­e before the derby after he was identified as a close contact of a positive case.

The 19-year-old will now miss Scotland’s World Cup qualifier in Denmark on Wednesday night.

And while he still hopes to rejoin Steve Clarke’s squad in time for Saturday’s Hampden clash with Moldova, a release from quarantine could come too late to salvage a move to Everton.

Steven Gerrard branded an opening offer of £5m from the Goodison club a ‘joke’.

And Sportsmail understand­s

the English Premier League side had a second offer rejected in recent days. Chasing Seamus Coleman’s long-term replacemen­t, the Toffees were preparing to come back with a third offer. Following advice from Scottish Government officials, however, Patterson has been told to isolate until midweek at the earliest. With no way of leaving home to undergo a medical or finalise a deal, the defender now looks certain to stay put at Ibrox when the window shuts. Rangers could still sell one of their big hitters before the deadline after fresh speculatio­n surrounded the future of Barisic last night. The 28-year-old left-back, who has previously been linked with a move to Serie A giants Roma, played a critical part in the derby victory yesterday, firing over the corner converted by match-winner Filip Helander. After watching the full-back crouched down on the Ibrox turf and holding back tears before hugging Ibrox staff, however, Rangers legend Kris Boyd fears Barisic could leave before Tuesday night’s deadline. Boyd told Sky Sports: ‘There’s two minutes left of the transfer window. If he’s waving his goodbyes or saying cheerio to the Rangers fans... listen, he’s been a great servant. ‘When they were knocked out of the Champions League, all the stories were that someone will have to go.’

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