OPINION
When the summer transfer window shuts at the beginning of the new 2018/19 season in August, you will be hard-pressed to find a more random transfer than David Bates to Hamburg.
The young Rangers defender has just signed a pre-contract agreement with the Bundesliga strugglers to join them on a four-year deal this summer, regardless of whether they are relegated or not.
The news was revealed on Hamburg’s official Twitter account on Thursday afternoon:
? Fix! Unser erster Neuzugang für die kommende Saison steht fest. Wir verpflichten den schottischen Innenverteidiger @DavidBates_ von @RangersFC, der bei uns einen Vierjahresvertrag erhält. Der Kontrakt gilt ligaunabhängig. #nurderHSV
? https://t.co/Fa3ps978AH pic.twitter.com/hKqiEnHmW1— Hamburger SV (@HSV) April 12, 2018
The 21-year-old was out of contract at Ibrox this summer, but many expected him to sign a new deal with the club he joined from Raith Rovers in January 2017.
However, the youngster has obviously decided to ply his trade elsewhere, and while his desire to play abroad is commendable, no one could have seen this move to Hamburg coming.
Putting that to one side, questions will no doubt be asked of Rangers after the club failed to tie Bates down to a new deal, and at first glance, this looks like a bad mistake from Mark Allen and co.
Bates had shown this season that he was one of the club’s most-dependable defensive players, with the 21-year-old becoming a regular under new boss Graeme Murty.
He has offered greater consistency and dynamism than veterans Bruno Alves and Russell Martin, showing clear improvement from his early days at the club.
And, while that development was easy to see, the most exciting thing was the fact that Bates is just 21 years old, and could have graced the centre of the Rangers defence for years to come.
Instead, he is off to ply his trade in Germany, at a massive club with a loyal following.
While the details of contract talks between Rangers and Bates are unknown, there is no doubt that if the club had tabled a reasonable offer early doors then the ace would have signed on the dotted line immediately.
You can’t help but feel this is a bad error from Allen, who has been outstanding overall in his role as director of football so far.
It is also hard to get away from the feeling that Rangers’ failure to tie Bates down to a new deal could really come back to bite them in the future, with the youngster surely to develop into a top player in Germany.
Finally, Bates’ departure leaves the club well short defensively, and the club will have to respond with some big signings this summer, or they could be in for another disappointing season next time round.