Premier League Clubs Are Bracing For A Move For 19-Year-Old Rangers Player: Will Losing Him For Free Hurt? | OneFootball

Rangers are bracing for the exit of teenage midfielder Bailey Rice, who looks likely to leave Ibrox this summer when his contract expires. It marks a disappointing end to a stint that showed plenty of potential but never quite took off at the senior level. The 19-year-old was considered a major youth scouting win when he joined from Motherwell in 2022. Since then, he has managed just 16 appearances for the club, totalling fewer than 500 minutes of first-team action, numbers that tell the story of a development path hampered by injuries.

Rangers set to lose Bailey Rice on a free as Premier League clubs are interested

A knee injury in November 2025 kept him out for months, and as he nears a return to fitness this May, the battle to sign him is heating up. Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Premier League sides have kept tabs on Rice since his debut, though Brown admitted he has his doubts. He noted that while scouts are constantly monitoring Scottish talent, he wonders if a player who couldn’t break into the starting XI at Ibrox is ready for the Premier League. His take was blunt that any club signing him is taking a gamble, not buying a sure thing.

Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, and Crystal Palace have all held talks, while Schalke, Stuttgart, and Ajax have also expressed interest in taking him to Europe. Rice is a tidy, left-footed midfielder who looks comfortable sitting deep and controlling the pace of a game. He also offers some versatility, with the ability to fill in at the back when needed.

“Of course, clubs are going to be interested in Bailey Rice. There isn’t a single club I’m aware of in the Premier League who don’t have scouts up in Scotland keeping an eye on the emerging talents there. So when somebody is coming out of Rangers with a reputation like his, these clubs will know all about him already.

“Clubs will be in touch with their scouts to find out what they know about him, but to be honest, I’m not quite convinced it’s all going to be positive. He hasn’t played much for the Rangers’ first team because of injuries and other issues, and you don’t know the impact that could have on him. If he’s not been able to make a difference for Rangers in Scotland, what is there to suggest he would make a difference to a club in the Premier League?

“When somebody like that is available on a free transfer, there will always be somebody willing to take a gamble on him, but a gamble is exactly what it is. There are definitely a few concerns, so it will be interesting to see what they do.”

Do Rangers losing Rice on a free reveal a deeper problem with how the club manages young talent?

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – SEPTEMBER 27: Bailey Rice of Rangers is seen during the Viaplay Cup match between Rangers and Livingston at Ibrox Stadium on September 27, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

To be honest, yes, and it’s a situation that needs a closer look. Rangers put in the work to secure Rice from Motherwell, but then let his contract run down without ever giving him the game time he needed to grow. Word is that Rice became frustrated by the lack of opportunities, never getting the run of games that many expected. Bringing in a top prospect only to leave him on the bench is a strategy that rarely pays off. Now, Rangers are set to lose him for nothing, making the initial investment look like a waste. Keeping young players takes more than just a contract offer; it takes actual minutes on the pitch.