Martin Skrtel was the centre of interest for Rangers in the summer, but the deal didn’t go through because both the parties were ‘terribly far apart‘ in terms of wages according to the player’s agent. A few days back reports from Turkey as reported by the Daily Record did the round that Steven Gerrard could once again look to sign the Slovakian defender in January. However, Skrtel’s agent has once again gone on record and doused out any rumours about a possible move in the future.
Karol Csonto told Record Sport.”Financially there is no chance of Martin going to Rangers. He couldn’t get half of his wages in Glasgow. It would be more like a third. Yes, he has great respect for Steven Gerrard but there’s no point in having a discussion because financially it’s just not realistic.”
It seems like Skrtel’s agent doesn’t like to keep people guessing as he went on to explain the situation in great detail. One can practically call this race over and the Gers might have to look at other defenders if they want to strengthen their backline.
The 33-year-old has been a rock at the back for Fenerbahce even though his side is currently struggling in the league. A couple of days back, reports from the Turkish media (Hurriyet) did the rounds that the Turkish giant could offer the former Liverpool defender a new two-year deal after impressing so far in the Turkish League.
Skrtel spent the best of his playing days with Liverpool playing under Gerrard who was the captain of the side. However, one can understand why the centre back isn’t too keen on moving to Rangers. Given that he is 33, the Slovakian is in the final phase of his playing career and he would be looking to maximise his wages as long as he can carry on playing in the top tier. With Fenerbahce, Skrtel also gets to play in the Europa League. (though that is something even the Bears could have offered this season).
The likes of Joe Worrall and Gareth McAuley are only at the club until the summer of 2019 so Gerrard might soon be in need of a defender. However, we feel losing out on Skrtel isn’t too big a miss given that the Slovakian would have burnt a massive hole in the team’s coffers.
Rangers have definitely improved defensively this season under Gerrard and signing Skrtel would have made them stronger but the Gers can look for more younger and cheaper options in the market who can stay and serve the club for long. Someone like Skrtel wouldn’t have come with any resale value and even from player’s point of view, the massive difference in the wage didn’t make sense for him to move to Glasgow.
