OPINION
When Kyle Lafferty returned to Rangers last summer the hope would have been that he could put some serious pressure on Alfredo Morelos when it came to leading the line at Ibrox.
The 6’4″ colossus (source: Transfermarkt) had a very successful first stint in Glasgow, scoring 35 goals and acting as a battering ram of a forward up front, but it is fair to say his second spell has not gone to plan.
Seven goals in 37 appearances is hardly inspiring reading and the fact Steven Gerrard opted to bring Jermain Defoe to Ibrox in January shows that he is lacking faith in the Northern Irish international.
His belief in the 31-year-old appears to have run out ahead of the summer transfer window, the Daily Record claiming that he has been informed that he is surplus to requirements – not a great surprise when you consider his performances this season.
The same report states that Lafferty is set to hold talks with his agent this week over his future, but instead of planning on where to go next, it is reported that he could look to stay at Ibrox and fight for his place.
While trying to earn back the respect of your manager is, in theory, admirable, it would only cause Gerrard a massive headache in terms of securing new recruits to help bolster his side this summer.
The Gers do not have a bottomless pit of money to call upon in the transfer window and new signings will only come if they can offload some of the fringe figures, which no doubts includes Lafferty.
For a player of his reputation and experience, he is going to be a significant earner, meaning that failing to get him off the wage bill leaves the club little room to manoeuvre in terms of getting new players through the door.
Gerrard has seemingly made it clear what he wants this summer – Lafferty to leave – but the player could prove a real nuisance if he and his agent, which they are well within their rights to do, decide to stay.