An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers midfielder Bailey Rice and interest in his services ahead of the summer transfer window…
What's the latest on Bailey Rice's future at Ibrox?
According to 90min, the Gers B team central midfielder has caught the attention of a number of huge European clubs after earning his first-team stripes earlier this season.
The report claims that European sides Real Madrid, Monaco, Porto, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen are all keeping tabs on the Scotland youth international.
It is stated that Premier League sides Newcastle, Manchester City, and Manchester United have also shown an interest in the teenage talent.
What happened to Billy Gilmour at Rangers?
The Light Blues lost academy midfielder Billy Gilmour to English giants Chelsea at the age of 15 for an initial fee of £500k in the summer of 2017 and Ross Wilson is now risking a repeat of that disasterclass with Rice.
Since leaving Ibrox, the now-Brighton dynamo has been capped 16 times by Scotland at international level, signed for the Seagulls for a £10m package, and played 42 matches in the Premier League.
This shows that the Gers missed out on an excellent player, who has established himself at the top level in England and on the international stage, because they were unable to convince him to remain in Glasgow as a teenager.
Therefore, Wilson must do everything in his power to stop Rice from making a move away from Ibrox in the summer transfer window, whether that is south of the border or elsewhere in Europe, as the talented gem could be a future star for Michael Beale's side.
The 16-year-old recently became a club record-breaker by playing against Livingston in the Premiership – making him the youngest player ever to feature in a league game in Rangers history.
Rice has played 20 matches for the academy this season and has been capped 18 times by Scotland's U16 and U17 sides despite his young age, which shows that the enforcer is highly rated by coaches at club and international level.
Gilmour had also been capped by his country at U15 and U16 level prior to leaving the Gers in 2017 and his excellent progression since moving to England shows the path that Rice could take in the years to come.
The Light Blues teenager, who was once lauded as a "prospect" by journalist Mark Hendry, has clearly impressed enough to earn Beale's trust – to make him a record-breaker this season – and this indicates that the manager sees the gem as someone with the potential to make the breakthrough at senior level, following in Gilmour's footsteps.
Therefore, Wilson and the Gers head coach must work their socks off to convince Rice that remaining at Ibrox is the best decision he can make for his development in the coming years.