A big update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their agreement to bring James Sands to Giovanni van Bronckhorst's Ibrox ranks in 2023...
What's the talk?
Journalist Tom Bogert has revealed that Rangers will be able to sign the versatile gem for a fee in the region of £4.8m next year, at the end of his current loan spell.
He Tweeted: "Was told Rangers' purchase clause for on-loan NYCFC and USMNT defender James Sands is $6 million. Dunno if there was a loan fee too or not. I would assume Rangers will trigger that. Think he'll be really good this year."
Supporters will be excited
The Gers supporters will be excited by this news for multiple reasons.
Firstly, it shows that there is money in the bank to spend a decent amount of money on permanent signings. The club have agreed a near-£5m fee for Sands, albeit with the intention of paying it in 2023, and fans will be pleased with the ambition shown by being willing to spend that kind of money.
Rangers have not spent more than £4.5m on a permanent signing since they brought Ryan Kent in from Liverpool in 2019 and this news indicates that they may be able to open up the purse strings again.
The supporter will also be excited by the prospect of seeing Sands develop at Ibrox in the years to come by signing him on a full-time basis.
He has now had five months to settle into life in Scotland and will be able to hit the ground running in 2022/23 with some valuable experience under his belt. The 21-year-old played 12 times in the Premiership and Europa League combined as he played at centre-back and in central midfield, showing off his impressive versatility as a youngster.
Sands showcased his potential in the 2021 MLS campaign for New York City FC as he won 58% of his duels and made 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game - averaging an excellent SofaScore rating of 6.91 whilst playing in multiple positions.
These statistics illustrate the kind of player he can grow into as he has strong defensive instincts and is not bullied by the opposition in individual battles, whilst he is also capable of delivering good performances on a regular basis.
At the age of 21, he has plenty of growth left to go through and can, hopefully, fulfil his potential in Glasgow as he gains more experience, which is why the supporters will now be excited by Bogert's expectation that the club will sign him permanently.