Rangers want to sign Joe Worrall on a permanent deal from Nottingham Forest, but they are unlikely to be able to afford the 22-year-old defender, according to the Express.
The newspaper claims that Steven Gerrard has expressed an interest in signing Worrall once his loan deal at Ibrox expires at the end of the season, but Forest are likely to demand a fee that goes beyond what the Gers are able to spend.
Worrall has made 17 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues this season and it is understood there are fears that Forest could recall him from his loan earlier than expected due to an injury crisis at the City Ground.
OPINION
Worrall has done well since signing for Rangers, but he has hardly impressed to the point where fans are gagging for Gerrard to sign him permanently. The 22-year-old has offered a mixed bag of performances so far for the Ibrox giants. If he was worth the potential fee that Forest would want for him, then you’d expect him to be starting every game. At the moment, Connor Goldson is the number one centre-back, after that any one of Worrall, Gareth McAuley or Nikola Katic could play. Katic is Rangers’ own player and could be someone with a good future ahead of him if Gerrard showed more faith in him. McAuley is unlikely to stay at Ibrox after this season, so signing a new centre-back could be key in the summer. As the report says, it’s unlikely to be Worrall. The 6ft 3 (transfermarkt) colossus is a valuable asset for Forest and you can see a Premier League club spending big on him because he’s young and English.