Rangers have reportedly enquired about signing Newcastle United winger Jacob Murphy ahead of the summer, although Steven Gerrard's hopes of bringing him to Ibrox are slim as he is also reportedly set to sign a new contract with the Magpies.
According to Chronicle Live, the 26-year-old has attracted interest ahead of the summer as a result of his impressive recent performances for Steve Bruce's side, but he is set to stay at St James' Park as Newcastle have the option to trigger a one-year extension, which they will take up.
The former Norwich City winger, who is currently valued at £3.15m by Transfermarkt, has put in a string of excellent performances as a right-back in recent weeks, which have helped steer the Toon well clear of relegation from the Premier League.
Having struggled for regular starts in Bruce's side earlier in the season, it seems as if Murphy was able to win over his manager with a starring performance from the bench in the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa back in March, as he has since gone on to appear in each of Newcastle's last seven games, starting six of them.
He has produced impressive displays against Tottenham, Burnley and Liverpool recently, emphasising that he has the quality to play in the Premier League, and therefore he could have been an excellent addition to Gerrard's side at Ibrox.
Although his best performances this season have come as a right-back, he could have been utilised in a number of positions by Gerrard, which certainly would have been appreciated by the Gers boss as he begins planning for the 2021/22 campaign, which will see Rangers compete in the Champions League.
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The 26-year-old earned high praise from Noel Whelan earlier in the season, with the former Leeds man telling Football Insider: “Murphy is a player with so much ability. He was brought to that club to run, be direct, use that pace and skill that he has with the ball at his feet and now he seems to be doing it.
“Murphy seems to be enjoying football again at Newcastle. The surroundings, the manager and the squad all seem to have made a nice connection. Newcastle seems a happier camp right now and Murphy is showing what a fantastic player he is."
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Therefore, it is a huge blow to Gerrard's chances of signing Murphy this summer that he is close to agreeing a one-year extension with the Toon, for unless the Gers are willing to stump up a significant fee, it seems unlikely that he will complete a switch to Ibrox.
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