Kris Boyd accuses Rangers of '˜unsettling clubs with derisory offers'

Kilmarnock striker Kris Boyd has accused former employers Rangers of unsettling a host of Premiership clubs by making derisory offers for their players.

Rangers have made a reported £350,000 bid for Killie’s 23-year-old Northern Ireland winger Jordan Jones – a bid that was quickly rejected and described yesterday as “nowhere near acceptable” by Rugby Park manager Steve Clarke.

The move comes on the back of Rangers’ failed attempts to sign Jamie Walker from Hearts and Kenny McLean from Aberdeen, not to mention their ultimately doomed pursuit of Pittodrie manager Derek McInnes.

In-form Boyd says enough is enough. “It pretty much sums it up as there’s a common theme the whole time,” said Boyd.

Kilmarnock's in-form striker Kris Boyd receives his Ladbrokes Premiership player of the month award for December. Picture: Ross MacDonald/SNS

“There’s one club unsettling everybody; if they want players then pay the money and come and take them.

“There’s no point in dropping phone calls in here saying they want to do this or that. If you want something you go and get it.

“We all know how football works. If a deal has been agreed and Jordan is happy with it, then go and pay the price to the football club.”

Citing other examples of Rangers failing to stump up the necessary fee, Boyd added: “Jamie Walker was the exact same – there’s a list, we could go on and on.

Kilmarnock's in-form striker Kris Boyd receives his Ladbrokes Premiership player of the month award for December. Picture: Ross MacDonald/SNS

“There’s calls been made and nothing has been backed up to do something about it. Pay the money and take the players if you want them. It’s easy to unsettle players now. Everyone knows everyone and we know how it works.

“This club is not in the position where it needs to sell and it certainly won’t give away one of its assets for next to nothing. If Rangers want Jordan they’ll need to pay the money.”

Rangers could, of course, yet come in with a far better offer for someone who is contracted at Rugby Park until summer 2019, but Killie boss Clarke claimed that, if he had been Jones, he would have felt aggrieved by the value the Ibrox club placed on his head.

“The bid was far too low so the club has immediately turned it down,” said the manager yesterday. “The initial offer did not get off the ground.

“It was really low – if I was the player I would be a little bit upset that the bid was so low, certainly for an international player.”