Premier League Clubs Are Bracing For A Move For 19-Year-Old Rangers Player: Will Losing Him For Free Hurt?

“Of course, clubs are going to be interested in Bailey Rice. There isn’t a single club I’m aware of in the Premier League who don’t have scouts up in Scotland keeping an eye on the emerging talents there. So when somebody is coming out of Rangers with a reputation like his, these clubs will know all about him already.

“Clubs will be in touch with their scouts to find out what they know about him, but to be honest, I’m not quite convinced it’s all going to be positive. He hasn’t played much for the Rangers’ first team because of injuries and other issues, and you don’t know the impact that could have on him. If he’s not been able to make a difference for Rangers in Scotland, what is there to suggest he would make a difference to a club in the Premier League?

“When somebody like that is available on a free transfer, there will always be somebody willing to take a gamble on him, but a gamble is exactly what it is. There are definitely a few concerns, so it will be interesting to see what they do.”

Do Rangers losing Rice on a free reveal a deeper problem with how the club manages young talent?

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – SEPTEMBER 27: Bailey Rice of Rangers is seen during the Viaplay Cup match between Rangers and Livingston at Ibrox Stadium on September 27, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

To be honest, yes, and it’s a situation that needs a closer look. Rangers put in the work to secure Rice from Motherwell, but then let his contract run down without ever giving him the game time he needed to grow. Word is that Rice became frustrated by the lack of opportunities, never getting the run of games that many expected. Bringing in a top prospect only to leave him on the bench is a strategy that rarely pays off. Now, Rangers are set to lose him for nothing, making the initial investment look like a waste. Keeping young players takes more than just a contract offer; it takes actual minutes on the pitch.