According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Saudi team Al-Ettifaq are not interested in signing Rangers FC defender James Tavernier.
Several major reports in Scotland have been suggesting that Steven Gerrard wants to bring the full-back to the Saudi Pro League in the summer and the Gers are well aware of this interest. This was hardly a surprise because Gerrard has worked closely with Tavernier from 2018 to 2021 and at 32, the right-back remains an influential player for Rangers.
However, the Light Blues captain has addressed this particular report claiming that these are just rumours and now Jacobs has also said the same thing.
Jacobs said on Monday: “Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq are not considering Rangers’ James Tavernier despite some suggestions.”
Have Rangers suffered a loss now that James Tavernier is not leaving?
James Tavernier has been with Rangers FC since 2015 and he’s still a very important player for Philippe Clement. To date, he’s played 455 games for the Gers and this season, the 32-year-old has scored 17 goals along with 8 assists in 33 league matches.
Many would think that the Saudi club would be willing to pay a hell lot of money for the right-back but as per rumours, Gerrard’s team were preparing to offer just €8.5 million for him. His current market value is €6 million so it’s not like Rangers will make a lot of profit even if they sold their captain in the summer.
€8.5 million is still a fair amount of money for a Scottish side but with the kind of importance that James Tavernier holds in the squad, Clement would be more than happy to hold onto him until his contract expiry in 2026. At 32, most players are filling up the numbers but Tavernier is still scoring bundles of goals so losing out on €8-9 million won’t be a big issue for Rangers FC.
