Ex-BBC pundit Noel Whelan has criticised Rangers for not securing new deals for Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos during the previous summer transfer window.
The Lowdown: Kent & Morelos’ contracts
As things stand, Kent and Morelos are set to see their contracts at Rangers expire at the end of the season, alongside numerous other players in the squad.
The duo have made 25 league appearances combined this season, with Kent boasting 13 and Morelos making 12.
With the SPFL campaign set to resume in the next few days, the Ibrox board have been criticised for their missed opportunities during the previous summer transfer window, which could leave them needing to spend ‘tens of millions’ on replacements.
The Latest: Whelan slams Rangers
Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan had this to say about Rangers’ opportunity in the summer to use the money they received for Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey to offer Kent and Morelos improved contracts.
“I think once you lose two personalities like they did for big money, of course it was big money but you have got to put that somewhere else.
“Put it into other big players whose contracts are about to run out. That to me was their perfect opportunity.
“You have got finances in the bank, you can offer these two players new contracts. It shows them that they are wanted at the club, their worth to the club.
“This is not a good position for Rangers. How are they going to replace these two? To replace players of their quality they are going to have to spend at least tens of millions on each player.”
The Verdict: Decisions to be made
Given the significant number of players now in the final years of their contracts, it does seem strange why Rangers didn’t avoid this during the previous summer transfer window when they had the chance.
Focusing on Kent, the fact that only four figures in the squad have played more minutes than him in the league this season shows how important he is to the team and why getting him to sign a new deal should be a top priority.
On the flip side, Morelos has only started one league game, meaning that Michael Beale could now have a big impact on what the striker ends up doing depending on how often he plays throughout the remainder of the season.