Czech Republic goalkeeper Václav Hladký recently went on to reveal that negotiations with Rangers (Daily Record) are said to be underway for a future move. However, he clearly went on to indicate that moving to the English Championship will be his preferred choice as he dreams of playing in the Premier League in the future.
The St. Mirren goalkeeper is considered as one of the best custodians in the Scottish league. The Scottish club signed Hladký from Slovan Liberec on an 18-month deal this year in January. Therefore he will become a free agent by next summer. Hladky has been brilliant for St. Mirren, and he attracted interest from Azerbaijan champions Qarabag in the summer where they put in a £200,000 bid for him.
Hladky on Rangers interest and his aspirations of playing in England
Hladky though is quite clear on what he wants as he wants to make it to the Premier League. The 28-year-old recently said (Daily Record), ”Rangers are interested in me and some negotiations are underway. But playing in England is a big dream. The biggest dream is to play in the Premier League, but that is a big jump. I know I will need to make another step first on the way. I’m not crazy enough to think I can go from St. Mirren directly to the English top division. Going to the Championship would be ideal for me. That is preferable to staying in Scotland.”
So Rangers might be second-favourites to sign him if a Championship club becomes interested. The way Hladky has been performing, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a second division English team wanting him at the club.
Do Rangers need a goalkeeper?
Rangers currently have a reliable goalkeeper in the form of Allan McGregor. The veteran custodian was signed on a two-year deal last summer, and he has been exemplary in goal for Rangers. Gerrard has already indicated that he will hand McGregor a new deal. However, Rangers might still need a new goalkeeper as backup options like Wes Foderingham and Andy Firth are also in their final year of the contract.
It remains to be seen whether Hladky will be satisfied with being a backup option as McGregor will likely continue as the first choice option if he goes on to extend his stay at Rangers. If Rangers miss out on the Czech goalkeeper then, it shouldn’t be too big a blow for them as McGregor is still going strong at the age of 37.
