Kris Boyd claims Crystal Palace goalkeeper Jack Butland wanted to join Rangers last summer amid speculation the Manchester United loanee could join the Scottish Premiership side in the forthcoming transfer window.
Butland has made just 17 appearances for Palace since he joined from Stoke City in October 2020. Since January, he has been on loan at Old Trafford but is yet to make an appearance for Erik ten Hag’s side.
The ex-England international has been touted as a potential replacement for Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor, with the 41-year-old set to leave the club when his contract expires in July.
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The Scottish Sun reports the Glasgow giants are closing in on a deal to sign Butland on a free transfer this summer after initial talks to bring the Palace goalkeeper to Ibrox last year broke down.
Former Rangers striker Boyd, who suggests manager Michael Beale will need to do a major overhaul of his squad this summer in order to compete with Celtic next term, questioned why the club didn’t complete the deal to sign Butland last year.
Boyd told the Scottish Sun: “Allan McGregor is still by far the best goalkeeper at the club but if you told him he’d be Rangers No1 at 41 he would have laughed at you. Yet there has been no forward planning for that position. It has been shambolic.
“The deal to sign Jack Butland might get done this summer but why didn’t it happen 12 months ago? I know he was keen to come.”
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