Jordan Rossiter will leave Liverpool this summer with the young midfielder set to sign for Rangers.
The 19-year-old Academy graduate is out of contract at the end of the season and the Reds will receive just £250,000 in compensation.
The Scottish outfit contacted Liverpool on Friday afternoon to inform them that they plan to officially approach the teenager over a move to Ibrox.
Talks will take place over the coming days but Rossiter, who has been free to speak to non-English clubs since January 1, is understood to be keen on heading north of the border.
Rangers’ head of recruitment Frank McParland, the former Liverpool Academy director, is a big admirer of the tough-tackling midfielder and provided a glowing endorsement to boss Mark Warburton.
Leaving Liverpool will be a wrench for Rossiter, who joined the Academy at the age of six and grew up in Everton Valley. However, he believes it’s the right decision in order to further his career.
The England Under-19s international has been forced to weigh up his options in recent months with no new contract on the table. The Reds did belatedly offer him an extension but that was largely to ensure that they would be able to claim a compensation fee if he left. Clearly not in Jurgen Klopp’s plans for next season, Rossiter decided it was time to move on.
Liverpool would have taken it to a tribunal if Rossiter had wanted to sign for another English club but under FIFA rules he can join a club outside of England for just £250,000.
Rangers, who will be back in the Scottish Premiership next season, will be able to offer Rossiter the first-team football which eluded him at Liverpool. There’s the attraction of playing in front of 50,000 at Ibrox each week and possibly European football too.
It’s been an injury-plagued campaign for the teenager, who hasn’t featured for the Reds since he pulled his hamstring against FC Sion in the Europa League in December. That was the only appearance he made under Klopp.
Rossiter had long since been touted as one of the most exciting talents to emerge from the Kirkby Academy prior to Brendan Rodgers handing him his debut in a League Cup tie against Middlesbrough at Anfield in September 2014. Just 17 at the time, he grasped the chance with both hands as he became the second youngest goal scorer in the club’s history.
A Premier League bow followed against Arsenal back in August and there were starts against Bordeaux and FC Sion in the Europa League. However, with injuries hampering his progress he struggled to force his way into Klopp’s plans and the away game against Sion proved to be his fifth and final first-team outing.
Last edited by *** Suso ***; 06/05/16 11:02 PM.
