MARK Warburton last night admitted Rangers are unable to offer Joey Barton the wages he can command in the Premier League in England – but stressed he is still hopeful of bringing the controversial midfielder to Ibrox in the coming days.
Warburton was also adamant he had no concerns about the notorious reputation of a player who was sentenced to six months in prison for carrying out an assault in Liverpool city centre in 2008.
The Englishman held talks with Barton, who helped Burnley win the Sky Bet Championship this season, about joining Rangers last week and the former Manchester City, Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers and Marseille man visited Ibrox at the weekend.
The 33-year-old has been offered a one-year deal worth an estimated £40,000-a-week by Burnley – but he is looking for a longer term contract and Rangers are prepared to give him that.
“We can’t get near the salaries being paid down south,” said Warburton. “He’s a very talented player and was in the Championship team of the year in England. I am sure he will have many suitors. But what we have to offer is an opportunity. Our job is to highlight what Rangers represent in terms of an opportunity."
He added: “The only baggage I’m looking at is that he is in the Championship team of the year and the team that just won that division. That’s the only baggage I’m looking at.
"He’s an outstanding player who’s had an outstanding season. He is experienced, combative and very intellectual about football. When you speak to him, he is a very knowledgeable guy.
“Everyone has history. Everyone. How many years do you go back? The fact is that in the most recent season he was outstanding and quite rightly named in that team of the year. That was our focus.
"We have looked at his fitness, looked at his impact on games and how that might benefit us. And also how we might benefit him. He is a very talented player. Forget some of the baggage, he is a very talented player. No doubt about that. A top Premier League player.
“We haven’t got him yet. But if we can get these players, it’s not a statement of intent it is just us doing business. You have to go and get the best available players and maximise our selling points as best we can. If we can do that, we will be in a good place. We want players to come on board and be part of the project."
Warburton secured the services of Jordan Rossiter, the talented England Under-19 striker, from Liverpool last week, and has also held talks with both Barton and Niko Kranjcar, the Croatian internationalist, about joining him at Rangers.
However, he has no concerns about the prospect of such experienced players moving to Ibrox unsettling his current charges ahead of the William Hill Scottish Cup final against Hibs at Hampden on Saturday afternoon.
“Good players want the club to go and recruit better players,” he said. “Simple as that. If you are confident in your ability and have good self-belief, you want the club to go and get better players to compete at a higher level. Those who doubt their ability and have a bit of negativity, those are the ones who would fear people coming in. But they won’t be here.”
Meanwhile, Warburton admitted the 20 day gap between his side’s final Ladbrokes Premiership match against St. Mirren at the start of this month and the Scottish Cup final on Saturday had presented him with problems.
The former Brentford manager is vehemently opposed to the winter break which the Scottish Professional Football League will reintroduce midway through the 2016/17 campaign and believes the break shows the problems sides will face come January.
“It’s been a challenge and it makes a mockery of the winter break,” he said. “It’s a bizarre situation – you have a winter break and look for games. This has given you the same scenario - three weeks off between the first and 21st and you have to do as best you can by giving the players time off, doing warm weather training and organising games.”
Winning the Scottish Cup would mean that Rangers would play in Europe for the first time in five years next season and Warburton is determined for his team to book their place in the qualifying rounds of the Europa League.
“From where Rangers have been, the prize is now European football if we beat a very good opponent,” he said. “It’s great for the Rangers fans with the club’s history and experiences of European football. They will be desperate to get those nights back against at Ibrox and if we can beat Hibs and give them that – fantastic.”
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