Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale has a number of significant decisions to make heading into the summer transfer window as a collection of players are set to be out of contract.
The Gers have a host of first-team squad members whose deals expire at the end of the season and the Light Blues boss, working alongside Ross Wilson, needs to decide who he does, and does not, want to keep.
One player who could be worthy of an extension is Scotland international midfielder Ryan Jack, who has been heavily involved so far this season.
The 30-year-old has played 17 times, starting 11 of those matches, in the Premiership this term and has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.88 in that time.
Jack, who started nine games in the run to the Europa League final in 2021/22, has been a reliable performer for Beale in the middle of the park and it could be worth handing him an extra couple of years, given that he only turns 31 this year.
However, Beale must also start to think about what life may look like at Ibrox after the Scottish battler departs and that is where B Team gem Bailey Rice comes into play.
The Light Blues head coach could find the long-term successor to Jack by developing the young academy talent to a point where he can take the experienced technician’s place in a few seasons’ time.
Extending the current first-team star’s contract for another two or three campaigns would allow the club to work with Rice to ensure that the youngster is fully ready to make the step up to first-team football.
The 16-year-old, who was dubbed a “prospect” by journalist Mark Hendry, joined the club from Motherwell in January of last year and has been a regular for the youth side this season.
Despite only turning 16 in October of 2022, the enforcer has played 14 matches for the B team, alongside some players who are three or four years older than him, and six times for the U19s.
The midfielder, who has scored two goals and provided one assist in 13 Lowland League outings, is seemingly showing maturity and quality beyond his years to be regularly selected for the B Team at his age, which is a promising sign for the future.
Premier League champions Manchester City were also interested in signing the gem last year, which shows how highly his performances in Motherwell’s youth set-up were rated, and Rice has also been capped 15 times by Scotland at youth level.
His accomplishments and the transfer interest he garnered before the age of 17 suggest that the gem, who has vowed to “keep improving”, has immense potential and could be a future star of the Gers first team if he can continue to develop and grow as a player.
Therefore, Rice could be the long-term successor to Jack in the middle of the park and extending the latter’s contract to coincide with when the B Team star will be nearing his 20s could be a smart move by the club.
