Rangers right-back James Tavernier has hinted that he has no intention of leaving Glasgow this summer despite a great deal of interest in him.
According to a report in The Scottish Sun, the Gers would consider selling the prolific right-back for £3.5million in the coming months.
The 25-year-old was in sensational form for the Light Blues last season from defence where he scored a total of seven goals and added another eight assists.
Speaking to Rangers TV, it looks as though Tavernier will be staying put after a conversation he had with new manager Steven Gerrard: “He explained what he wanted, his vision for this club and where he wants to take it so I am all on board.
“I have always said I have unfinished business here and I signed a new contract six months ago.”
And speaking about the arrival of Jon Flanagan to the right of defence, the 27-year-old insisted that he was unfazed by the transfer and that he welcomed the competition: “Bring it on.
“You want that competition, you never want to get complacent in your football and you always want to get pushed.
“Even in the running you want to be with people who are pushing you, we all want to push each other to be the best and that is the standard that we have got now.
“Everyone is pushing each other in the training and the standards are getting higher. The more competition we have in the squad the more it pushes each player to be better at what they do.”
OPINION
This is the best news any Rangers fan could have been waiting for this summer – aside from the announcement of Steven Gerrard as manager that is. To hear that Tavernier, who was instrumental down the right flank for the Light Blues last season and can prove to be just as, if not more important going into the new season for the club as he is set to stay. It seems strange that after only signing an improved deal with the club back in February when he previously admitted that he had “unfinished business” at the Scottish giants, that there was so much speculation surrounding his future. Nonetheless, his statement ought to pour cold-water over those fears as we cannot see any way that the 25-year-old is destined to be wearing anything other than a Rangers shirt next season as he combats with Flanagan for the first choice right-back slot. We can only wonder if he will be feeling quite as positive about life at Ibrox if he isn’t given much game time and the ex-Liverpool defender takes over from him.