Rangers would more than likely have to spend more than £5million on Millwall defender Jake Cooper, according to Southwark News chief sports reporter John Kelly.
The reliable journalist claimed via his personal Twitter account on Thursday that the 23-year-old powerhouse is not for sale this summer and Millwall may value him as being worth over £5million after a stellar season at the New Den.
https://twitter.com/JKelly1882/status/1014795705733574657
The Express had previously reported that Rangers would be willing to spend over £1million on Cooper, but would not match Millwall’s valuation of him.
It was understood that the former Reading centre-back, who according to transfermarkt stands at 6ft 5in tall, is a top target for Steven Gerrard this summer but claims by this London-based journalist suggests that the Light Blues would be unable to afford him.
OPINION
It was always going to be hard for Gerrard to sign the players he wants this summer due to the lack of external funding that Dave King was unable to find before the summer transfer window opened. Rangers would have had a real boost if he did and probably could afford Cooper, but it seems as though Gerrard’s hunt to sign the defender will come to a dead-end. There’s no way that Milwall would accept just over £1million on someone who was so key to them last season. He made 42 appearances across all competitions for the Championship club, scoring four goals and supplying three assists in the process. Millwall put themselves in contention to finish in the play-offs thanks to the heroics performances of players like Cooper, whose market value has soared in the last 12 months. He is totally out of Rangers’ league at the moment and Gerrard must look elsewhere.