DONE DEAL: Rangers announce deal of £65m strike who agreed for medical

There was a time when Dominic Solanke looked destined to join Rangers.

Steven Gerrard had just taken charge at Ibrox in 2018 and the then Liverpool striker had been earmarked as a potential loan signing by the likes of the Sun.

There were reams of copy written about potential Rangers interest in Solanke and whilst Gerrard dismissed the links as ‘speculation’, they persisted up until the striker left Anfield six months later.

In the January of 2019, Dominic Solanke would move to Bournemouth in a deal said to be worth £19m.

It was a deal which put those Rangers transfer links into perspective.

Five years on the striker has now joined Tottenham Hotspur in a mouthwatering £65m deal and it’s a Rangers player trading reminder of the value in English trained players.

Under Gerrard, Rangers did manage to bring Ovie Ejaria and Ryan Kent on loan from Liverpool in his first season. The latter eventually joined permanently.

Sheyi Ojo is another who came in on a temporary deal from Anfield in 2019.

Only last week was ex-Ibrox assistant Gary McAllister claiming that Rangers tried to sign Curtis Jones on loan from Liverpool.

Over the years Rangers have exploited loopholes to bring the likes of Calvin Bassey (Leicester City) and Joe Aribo (Charlton Athletic) to the club at the end of their contracts.