We have seen it all before; Rangers want a rival teams player and make a few bids to unsettle the player and try and get their man.

The player in question this time is Hibs midfielder Scott Allan.

At the moment the Edinburgh side seem set on keeping the midfield man and rejecting any bids from the Ibrox club.

You can understand the Hibees position. In Scott Allan they have the man who won the Championship’s player of the year last term, not bad considering the fact that Hearts ran away with the title last seasons. Manager Alan Stubbs will believe that in Allan, Hibs have a difference maker who can help them win promotion back into the Scottish Premiership.

Obviously Rangers seem to be the biggest threat in stopping Hibs meet that objective, so why would you want to sell your top asset to your main rivals? It doesn’t make sense.

That said, the Gers are offering hard cash for a player who only has a year left on his contract and Hibs will now spend at least two seasons in Scotland’s second tier and possibly a third if things don’t go to plan next term, so that will mean less cash coming into the clubs coffers.

But according to reports, Rangers second bid for the twenty-three year old only just touched the £250k mark. The Hibs board may believe they can take a financial hit of that size, especially if Allan can help them win promotion. Plus who is to say they wont get an equivalent or higher bid in January?

I can also understand Rangers point of view in this situation.

They would be delighted to sign the league’s most influential player of last season. Bringing in the attacking midfielder would be seen as a great bit of squad enhancing and it would also see yet another young Scot join the clubs ranks.

Allan as a player still has vast potential. He may not have succeeded in England’s Premier League with West Brom but time is on his side if he can continue to develop. If he can reach that potential then he’ll be worth millions in future years. That is the kind of value that Gers boss Mark Warburton looks for in any potential new recruit.

The timing of the bid, in the same week both sides face each other in the opening round of the Challenge Cup, is cheeky but nothing new. it’s a well trodden path in sportsmanship that happens with most transfer deals these days. It’s designed to unsettle the player but it can also make the player’s current employer equally stubborn in resisting the overtures.

In regards of the transfer fee, I don’t see Rangers going much higher. If they make a third bid I think it will be a final one of around £3ook or £350k tops. They will believe that is good value for a Championship player who has no international caps at senior level.

The player himself seems to have his heart set on a move to the Glasgow side.

It has been widely reported this morning that the young middleman is ready to hand in a transfer request in a bid to force the move through.

He grew up supporting the Blues and it seems that he wants to now represent them at Ibrox. An increase in wage would certainly help him in making up his mind too.

By handing in a transfer request, Allan could enrage fans at Easter Road and boss Stubbs. They may see that particular move as disrespectful and ungrateful. Especially if he suggests that by not moving then he could become unmotivated at Hibs.

It would be a bold move for Scott Allan, if he does hand in a transfer request today, but he needs to do it properly and without too much negativity about Hibs or his potential future performances for the club. He needs to try and remain as professional as possible and respectful of the club.

The fact remains that this transfer saga represents nothing new.

Both clubs have to come together and agree a fee that suits both teams. Hibs have every right to reject any bid from a rival club and don’t even have to consider Allan’s feelings too deeply when making business decisions, that’s what happens when you sign a contract with a club.

It will be interesting to see if Hibs actually flinch in this game of poker or will they remain resilient even if Scott Allan demands to make his dream move to Rangers a reality. Only time will tell.

Posted on July 24th, 2015 by scott
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