Rangers’ hopes of finally landing Steven Davis from Fulham looked to be rekindled this week after the sale of Carlos Cuellar to Aston Villa for £7.8m.
The midfielder is very much needed by the Gers at the moment. The fans are still smarting over the dual blows of European humiliation at the hands of Kaunas and the sale of fans’ favourite Cuellar. Skipper Barry Ferguson is additionally crocked.
With chairman David Murray and boss Walter Smith insisting that the proceeds would be reinvested in talent, Northern Irishman Davis is the obvious target having impressed whilst on loan to the SPL club last term.
However, Cottagers boss Roy Hodgson continues to be awkward over the sale, insisting Davis is worth some £6m-£8m. The gaffer took over the relegation battlers last year and appeared not to rate the 23-year-old, who was a £4m signing from Villa.
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“They say Rangers have not had much money until now,” Hodgson told the Daily Record. “But I find that hard to understand because they get 50,000 people every other week and it’s a very big club.
Apparently setting a price that will probably scare the Gers off, he continued: “We are being obliged to contemplate transfers of £6m, £8m - that type of figure - so it seems strange a club of that stature can only afford what they have offered us.”
Rangers were previously bidding around the £3m mark, with Hodgson now considerably upping the stakes.
Far from encouraging Rangers to resume their pursuit, bullish Hodgson added: “I am perfectly happy to keep Steven. He is a good player and I would be very disappointed if the club allowed him to go for a sum of money that is below his worth.
“I suppose the risk exists still that Rangers will come in with a bid that the club finds acceptable - he would desperately want to go.”
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