'Big offers' made for Rangers players in transfer window - but no sales says Ibrox sporting director Ross Wilson

Ross Wilson has revealed Rangers’ rejection of some ‘big offers’ for players in each of the last two summer transfer windows.

Ross Wilson began his career at hometown Falkirk before moving to Watford, Huddersfield, Southampton and back north to Rangers. Picture: Michael Gillen.

Interest in Alfredo Morelos has been well publicised both last year and in recent months, with Porto credited with interest in the Colombian throughout the close-season. OSC Lille also reportedly bid for the striker last year but no settlement could be reached with Rangers.

Morelos is not alone in being coveted and the likes of Ianis Hagi and Glen Kamara have attracted attention as has Nathan Patterson who Everton made a £5m target shortly before the transfer window closed.

All remain Rangers players, until at least January, defending the club’s SPFL title in the current campaign and sporting director Ross Wilson admits it is hard for any player to leave a winning squad – but when they do, a recruitment structure moulded by Wilson, his department and scouting network will kick in to find a replacement.

Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos has attracted attention in each transfer window. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Without identifying the players involved, the sporting director also confirmed big money bids were received for some of Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox assets – but none transpired into an outgoing transfer this year, just like last.

“This is a difficult club to leave for anyone. You leave behind 50,000 fans, regular European football and a very exciting team,” he told 90min.com. “If anyone leaves Rangers it has to be for someone exciting or a new challenge, as there are few who match this club in terms of its size.

“Selling players is normal, but we don’t have that big a track record at the moment - we are probably only coming back to that level now. We now have a talented team and this is a connected squad; this group are so close and are genuinely mates, they have fitted in like a glove.

"Yes, people will try and entice them, and we have rejected some big offers for players in each of my summer windows here, but the time will come when players do leave. And when it does we will move on to the next player and embrace that freshness,” he told 90min.com.

Wilson joined the club in 2019, taking over from Mark Allen to join Steven Gerrard, who he described as ‘a world class communicator’, after spells in similar roles at Southampton, Huddersfield, Watford and Falkirk.

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