CONTRACT TALKS NOT AFFECTING MORELOS OR KENT, CLAIMS BOSS

GIOVANNI VAN BRONCKHORST insists contract uncertainty is not responsible for the form dips endured by Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos.

Both forwards are in the final years of their current deals at Ibrox and, although talks have commenced between the players’ representatives and club sporting director Ross Wilson, there has been no breakthrough.

Both are free to talk to interested parties in January about pre-contract arrangements elsewhere but manager Van Bronckhorst insists they are not distracted from the job in hand.

He said: ‘I don’t think the talks are affecting them. Ryan is in and out of the game. He is improving his performances but I don’t think that is due to his contract talks.

‘Alfredo is different because he came from a long-term injury. They are both players who want to improve and to perform whenever they are playing, so I don’t think that’s an issue.’

Asked for a progress update,

Van Bronckhorst defers to Wilson. He added: ‘You have to speak about contract talks with Ross. You want your players to sign contracts sooner than later but you need two sides to agree.

‘We had the same situation with Connor (Goldson) where he did not sign a contract during the season but then did so in the summer.

‘Of course, the earlier the better but at the moment I don’t know the status.

‘We just have to wait and see what will happen in the coming months or even in the summer.’