Winner named in Rangers and Celtic race to sign midfielder – report
Old Firm rivals Rangers and Celtic have lost to Newcastle Jets in the pursuit to snap up Australian midfielder Riley McGree, according to a report.
The Scotsman claims that both of the Glasgow sides had been in a race to sign the Australian Under-23 international from Belgian side Club Brugge when the January transfer window opened.
However the 19-year-old has sealed a loan deal to return to his homeland with A-League side Newcastle Jets.
McGree only joined Brugge from Adelaide United during the summer but has struggled to make the breakthrough in Belgium so far.
The move is only temporary and the Australian will return to Belgium after the A-League season ends after Brugge confirmed there was no option to buy the player at the end of his loan.
“We have today reached an agreement with Newcastle Jets over Riley McGree’s loan spell,” a Club Brugge spokesman said, as quoted by the Scotsman.
“The Australian midfielder will be loaned to the A-League club until the end of the season, but they won’t have the option to buy him.”
Celtic are said to have scouted McGree before his move to Brugge but were beaten to his signature in the summer as McGree penned a four-year deal with the Belgian league leaders.
McGree has been named in the Australian national team squad but is yet to make his senior debut at international level.
The midfielder is expected to link up with his new team-mates at the end of January after being named in Australia’s Under-23 squad for the AFC Under-23 Championship in China next month.
Football Insider verdict
A return home after only six months doesn’t bode well for the Australian and it looks like it could be a bullet dodged for both Old Firm sides. Every chance he becomes another who had the ability but couldn’t cope with the change needed to play at the very top level when originally from a minor-footballing nation like Australia. Who knows, if interest from either Rangers or Celtic is strong enough it could be re-visited in the future. He’s only 19 so it’s unlikely that there’s any rush over securing his signature in the immediate future.
In other Rangers news, Football Insider looks at three players Tony Pulis must sign if he is appointed as Gers boss.
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