Exclusive: Rooney distraught as Birmingham learn former Man Utd man would cost outrageous fee
Birmingham linked Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland with Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney has become the new Birmingham City manager as the club’s owners look to grow their profile and push towards the riches of the Premier League.
A shortlist of transfer targets has been drawn up by the Championship side and Rangers’ goalkeeper Jack Butland is on it.
He is not a new target as Birmingham wanted to sign him in the summer and Rooney has reaffirmed their desire to bring his former England teammate to St Andrew’s.
News of the Blues’ intention to try and sign Butland, however, has been scoffed at within Ibrox with Rangers having zero interest in any deal for their No.1. It would, therefore, take a sensational offer to remove him from Glasgow in January.
Butland only signed for Rangers in the summer transfer window, after his contract with Crystal Palace expired and he was free to choose his next employer. The Gers moved quickly to become frontrunners with a host of clubs in Europe and the UK trying to sign the former England stopper.
Rangers landed his signature in July and tied him down to a four-year deal, which expires in May 2027, and he is also one of the highest earners at the club. The 30-year-old’s signing has been a success and sources state he is loving life in Glasgow.
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Rangers have no interest in selling Butland
Despite the poor start to the season for Rangers, the Birmingham youth product has been an instant hit with fans after replacing club legend Allan McGregor between the posts. In eight starts he has kept five clean sheets and looks like he has been at the club for years.
Although his England days would appear to be behind him there is no doubt that he is still a Premier League-quality goalkeeper and that has not gone unnoticed by the likes of Rooney and Birmingham City.
They will not be alone in testing the waters for Butland, especially next summer, as he has been the best goalkeeper in Scotland since his arrival. Spells on the sidelines at Palace and Manchester United obscured the talent that got him into the England reckoning but he back performing well on a regular basis.
There is a belief from Rangers fans that he will be at the club for many years to come but on current form he will see his name at the top of many clubs’ transfer wishlist.
A return to the club that brought him through the academy might well be on the cards in the future, but for now he is a Rangers player and that doesn’t look like changing anytime soon.
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