OPINION
On the list of things you don’t want to happen at your club over the course of a close season, an influx of interest in your captain and leader is probably pretty high up.
Unfortunately for Rangers fans, that appears to be the situation at Ibrox at the moment.
James Tavernier, by any metric, has enjoyed a stellar season.
The full back has hit 17 goals and assisted 20 more in all competitions, and has skippered the Gers to their most promising campaign for quite some time.
Obviously, there is still a fair amount of work to be done at Ibrox before Steven Gerrard’s side can realistically hope to break Celtic’s monopoly over the Scottish game, but all things considered, the signs are good for the blue half of Glasgow, and Tavernier has been a key figure in helping to attain that optimism.
Success can come at a price though, and if Gerrard’s latest comments are anything to go by, the Gers could face a abated to hang on to their captain this summer.
As quoted in the Scottish Sun, he said: “There have been calls about Tav with clubs interested. I am sure there still is.
“We’ve got a fantastic captain/manager relationship. We know his agent very well and, as with any player, I’m open to these chats at any time.
“The reality is, and I probably shouldn’t be saying this, but every player has his price. Every manager up and down the UK has the same issues.
“But I can’t be any clearer, I want my best players to stay at Rangers and Tav certainly comes into that bracket.”
It’s pleasing to hear a manager talk with the frank openness that Gerrard tends to employ, but it can also lead to some pretty nervy times as well.
Tavernier is, for many, the face of this Rangers side. The 27-year-old is a brilliant leader, and backs up his rhetoric with a shedload of talent to boot.
Losing him would be a hammer blow, and Gerrard’s comments will ensure a far few sleepless nights around Ibrox.