Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is to tear up the contract of senior defender Lee Hodson and release him from the club as Umar Sadiq and Lassana Coulibaly join the squad for their Europa League campaign, according to club insider EstConsultancy.
The Twitter account, who have established themselves as a reliable source of inside information at Ibrox, claim that the 26-year-old is set to be let go of a year before his current deal runs out in Glasgow, having made 27 appearances for the club since signing from MK Dons back in 2016.
https://twitter.com/EstConsultancy/status/1021342912649617408
Coulibaly and Sadiq both missed out on the Light Blues’ clashes with Shkupi, which saw Gerrard’s men win 2-0 on aggregate, but they should be available for the upcoming ties against Osijeck, the first of which is on Thursday in Croatia, in a crucial squad update.
Opinion
Hodson’s time at Ibrox looked uncertain heading into the summer and it is likely that after trying to offload him via a transfer deal, the club have found no suitors and are as such looking at cutting their losses with a release, which will at least get him off the wage book. Gerrard’s overhaul of the first team squad has already seen plenty of proven names out the door but unlike Pedro Caixinha, the former Liverpool star has got quality reinforcements to fill the gaps that their exits are creating. Hodson was never going to see much first team action next season and while there might be some disappointment about not getting a fee for his exit, there will be no sleep lost when his departure finally comes. As for the Europa League squad, the new duo should strengthen it significantly, especially Sadiq, with the Gers lacking the cutting edge the striker could well bring in the next round of qualifiers.