Rangers look set to pass up on the opportunity to sign Stewart Downing on a free transfer this summer as talks with Blackburn Rovers are scheduled, according to the Daily Record.
The newspaper claim on their website’s live transfer blog (29/05, 13:10) that despite links with a move to Ibrox, the veteran winger, who has 35 caps for England under his belt, looks likely to stay in England as his contract with Middlesbrough comes to an end, with Rangers’s reported interest said to be wide of the mark.
Downing was a mainstay for Boro this season but is set to leave for nothing and a move to Blackburn would keep him in the Championship for another campaign.
Opinion
The Downing claims were an interesting one but seemed unlikely. The Ibrox outfit might have plumped for some ex-England international experience in Jermain Defoe but they were desperately lacking in quality backup for Alfredo Morelos at the time. Downing would not bring anything, other than his years of playing at the top level, that Rangers do not already have on their books and considering his record for Middlesbrough last season, with just two goals and an assist under his belt, he would not have been the most inspiring capture. Add to that his likely wage demands, which English clubs might be able to meet, and there really should not be much surprise that the Gers are distancing themselves from the veteran. Still, having played alongside Steven Gerrard, the Rangers boss might have thought he could offer something to his squad that he is missing – it seems as though he will look elsewhere to find what he wants this summer.