Former Rangers manager Alexander McLeish has advised his former club to cash in on Super Eagles stars Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey if the duo would not sign new contracts.
The 63-year-old coach noted that the Scottish side need to prevent a recurrence of the 2003 summer when his treble-winning side was cherry-picked due to players being out of contract.
Bassey and Aribo have been consistently linked to Premier League clubs this summer transfer window with their former manager Steven Gerrard said to want both Nigerian internationals at Aston Villa.
McLeish warns Rangers about 2003 repeat
In a lengthy interview with Daily Record, McLeish took a trip down memory lane when Rangers lost a greater chunk of their 2003 treble-winning squad.
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The former Rangers manager said: “It was like me at the end of that season, losing seven or eight players and you’ve got a month to go before pre-season training starts and you are trying to regenerate the squad.
“You end up with free transfers coming in. Guys who have been great players but are maybe not at the peak of their careers any more.
"That’s hugely difficult, and as I say, that’s when the recruitment has to be great because the budget was downsizing and at Rangers you still have to play and be at a level the fans expect.
McLeish summarily said that the players who are out-of-contract soon must either renew their deals or be sold this summer.
McLeish said: “Every week in England, I am asked about Bassey. Is he going, is this one or that one going?
“The prices that are now being touted are astronomical and it’s credit to Rangers and the players for getting to the level they are playing at. They’ve raised the bar and raised the fees.
"But if the players are staying, they have to be fully committed. I am sure they’ve come to Rangers and been flabbergasted at the level of that club and their status in the world as a club.
"It’s a huge decision and it would be really tough to take if they left for nothing next year.
"If someone comes in with the right offer, it will be hard even for Rangers or Celtic to turn down.”
Bassey has two years left on his contract with his deal set to expire in 2024 while Aribo, Ryan Kent, and Alfredo Morelos will all be free agents by 2023.