The Rangers boss will not be deterred on this one
Steven Gerrard saw his Rangers side get 2018/19 off to a winning start over Macedonian side Shkupi, last week, in the Europa League qualifiers. The games will come thick and fast in the early months of his first season in charge and life is already hectic enough.
Since taking up the reins at Ibrox, the former Liverpool star has made seven signings of his own to go with the pre-agreed captures of Alan McGregor and Scott Arfield.
Much of the work Gerrard and the Rangers backroom team has put in has been in relation to loan deals and transfers but £6m has been laid out on three transfers – Connor Goldson and Jamie Murphy (from Brighton), and Nikola Katic (Slaven Belupo).
Goldson, at £3m, represents the biggest outlay of fees so far but Gerrard may have to break his own record to get in another player seen as a priority.
The Gers boss is said to be keen on 23-year-old Millwall defender Jake Cooper. The former England U20 international was with Reading for three seasons but went on loan to The New Den in 2016/17 and helped them secure promotion to the Championship before securing a permanent move in July 2017.
Cooper has played 29 times for Millwall but last season was a frustrating one as injuries prevented him from getting a decent run of games together.
Rangers have reportedly made two previous approaches to Millwall about Cooper. The first was a £2.5m bid. That was quickly rejected, as was Rangers’ second offer of £3m. Gerrard will only get his man, it seems, if Rangers reach deeper into their pockets.
The alternative, should that bid fail, is Blackpool’s Curtis Tilt. The Scottish Premiership outfit have scouted the Championship extensively in recent months, on the look-out for potential bargains.
