Betting latest: Rangers odds-on favourites to sign £9m striker

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Published on:

02 Aug 2017, 12:50 am

By Harry Sykes

Rangers have been installed as odds-on favourites to sign Norwich City striker Steven Naismith this summer, according to the latest bookmakers' odds.

Sky Bet priced the Glasgow giants at 10/11 on Wednesday morning to land the proven forward, 30, before the transfer window shuts on 3 September.

The odds have narrowed after Rangers were priced at 7/4 earlier in the summer to sign Naismith from English Championship outfit Norwich.

Pedro Caixinha's team are regarded by bookmakers as more than six times more likely to sign Naismith than second favourites Sunderland, who are priced 6/1, with both clubs well ahead in the race of rivals.

Hull City are third placed at 16/1, while Middlesbrough have drifted to 20/1 and Burnley are 25/1.

The strong likelihood of Naismith moving back to Ibrox five years after his exit comes as the club continue to completely overhaul the team failed to mount any sort of a challenge to 2016-17 treble winners Celtic.

Rangers have already make extensive attempts to overhaul their squad in the summer market, with nine new signings already in place and Caixinha in the market to make at least two more captures.

Kenny Miller was the only Rangers forward to score more than 10 league goals in the 2016-17 campaign, with his haul of 11 paling in comparison with the top men in the Scottish Premiership such as Ross County's Liam Boyce (23) and Celtic duo Scott Sinclair (21) and Moussa Dembele (17).

Naismith has two years remaining on the Norwich contract that he signed when he joined from Everton in January of last year for a fee of £9million.

The 45-times Scotland international spent five years at Ibrox from 2007 to 2012, scoring 33 goals and supplying 30 assists during 132 appearances in all competitions.

He joined Everton on a free transfer when Rangers went into administration and made a big impression for the Premier League club, scoring 26 goals in 123 matches, including a memorable hat-trick against Chelsea.

Naismith was a mainstay for Norwich last season, scoring seven goals and supplying three assists in 32 matches in all competitions.

In other Rangers transfer news, a new arrival is heading in and he is poised to make his debut in Sunday's Scottish Premiership opener against Motherwell.

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Steven Naismith