Alan Hutton believes Glasgow Rangers hold all the cards in their efforts to sign Daniel Johnson from Preston North End this summer.
The Gers have been heavily linked with a move for the 27-year-old, and it now looks as if it could just be a matter of negotiating a fee – the Lilywhites reportedly want more than £4m for the Jamaican, which could well be too big for the Ibrox outfit to consider.
However, with Johnson’s contract running out next summer, Hutton thinks the Gers are in a strong position to take the midfielder north of the border. He told Football Insider:
“If he decides to stay at the moment or they can’t agree a fee, you can sign him on a pre-contract in January for nothing so it’s a very strong position for Rangers to be in at the moment.
“As well, you know he wants to go to the club. It’s different if you’ve got other suitors and people swarming round him. It seems like he’d fancy the move to Rangers.
“While they could pay the money at the moment, if everyone’s willing to wait until January to pick him up on a free, if he actually wants to join your club, you’re holding all the cards so it’s a good situation to be in.”
Hutton does have a point – if the 54-time Scottish champions are unable to agree a fee to their liking, they could sign the midfielder for free in January ahead of next season in a pre-contract agreement. However, the issue for Steven Gerrard and co is that they could with more creativity from midfield as it is, and Johnson, who managed 12 goals and eight assists for Preston last term in the Championship, should bring just that.
Would you like to sign Daniel Johnson?
Yes
No
This is a huge season for the Gers as they look to win their first piece of major silverware since 2011 – if Johnson can help them do that, they must bring him now rather than in 12 months.
Let us know what you think below!
About the Author
