Mark Warburton says Rangers will not be forced to sell, but every player has a price
Thursday 26 January 2017 15:15, UK
Mark Warburton admits every footballer has a price but re-iterated that Rangers will not be forced to sell any players on the cheap.
The Gers boss has claimed that Scottish talent is undervalued by clubs from elsewhere in Europe as reports suggest Bundesliga title challengers RB Leipzig are considering making a £6m bid for winger Barrie McKay.
Warburton understands that every player has a price but insists that Rangers can afford to reject any offer that falls short of the valuations they put on their top performers.
"We won't be forced [into selling] at all. The club is building. The board's intention is to take the club back to where it needs to be, so the target has to be to hold on to our best players," he said. "But every club in the game will have a price for their players.
"Can you put a price on someone like Barrie McKay? Of course you can. I won't tell you what it is but of course you can. You could put a value on Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
"The job of a board and the management of the club is to determine what the value is - but it has to represent good value. That value will be set after discussions. We'll look at the market and decide what's acceptable. It's about gauging recent activity and, I guess, future potential too.
"If someone comes in for one of our players and it's at a price that is deemed to represent good business for Rangers Football Club, then all well and good."
Rangers have brought in Jon Toral and Emerson Hyndman on loan during the transfer window but Warburton has remained tight-lipped over any other potential business.
Reports suggest Philippe Senderos could be on his way out of Ibrox while Sky sources understand they are in advanced talks to sign West Ham defender Reece Oxford on loan.
"We are never going to discuss individual players or targets - one of many names we are apparently linked with but, from our point of view, it's keep our business private and try get it over the line if it's right," he said.
"There have been suggestions that we were signing Saido Berahino, there have been suggestions we were signing Benik Afobe - they are just suggestions.
"We are never going to divulge private information and we just try to go about our business as every other club does and, if the players are right, try get the business done and over the line."
