Stephen Kelly targeted for Rangers transfer exit as Scottish Premiership and English suitors battle for a deal

In-demand Stephen Kelly looks set to leave Rangers before the close of the window despite returning to training at Auchehowie.

The Scotland under-21 cap was back under the watchful eye of Giovanni van Bronckhorst as he joined the first-team squad for pre-season training on Thursday. However, the midfielder is wanted by a number of Scottish Premiership clubs and there is also strong interest from English League One and Two outfits after Kelly made his mark south of the border last term.

The 22-year-old had a successful loan spell with Salford City last season and is on the wanted list of a number of clubs again, and he looks set to be made available for a loan move again. Kelly, however, is going into the final year of his contract and it is likely that he would be allowed to leave if the right deal could be struck with Rangers and would benefit the player’s career.

The academy graduate has found first-team football in light blue hard to come by and in recent seasons. The playmaker has had successful loan spells at Ross County and Ayr United but appears unlikely to get a chance with the Europa League finalists this term.

Kelly has only made a handful of top team appearances for Rangers. He featured against Dunfermline in the Premier Sports Cup and against Alashkert in the Europa League.

Former boss Steven Gerrard was an admirer of the player insisting his time would be better spent at Ibrox rather than shipped out on loan. He said at the start of last season: “We’ve decided to keep Stephen around the group.

"We feel his loan opportunities, with all due respect, would have been better spent training alongside Steven Davis Glen Kamara Joe Aribo and testing himself against that level of player.”

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