With Rangers reportedly interested in Birmingham City forward Greg Stewart, the Championship club should let him leave on a free transfer in the summer.

Football Insider reported recently that Rangers are working on a deal to sign the 29-year-old, with his contract at St Andrew's due to expire in the summer.

The forward is currently on loan at Aberdeen and the Scottish Premiership club are understood to be keen on making the deal permanent.

Stewart was signed by former Birmingham boss Gary Rowett back in the summer of 2016 and has made 22 appearances for the Blues.

The striker is clearly not in current manager Garry Monk's plans ahead of next season and he should start thinking about his next career move.

Stewart scored eight goals and provided seven assists for his teammates in 16 matches for Kilmarnock during the first half of the campaign, before being re-called by the Blues in January.

However, Monk admitted that the decision to re-call the striker was made the club's hierarchy, not himself and the forward was soon sent back out on loan at Aberdeen, where he has continued to impress.

Stewart is clearly not in Monk's first-team plans at the moment and it is difficult to see that changing in the near future, despite his impressive performances while on loan in Scotland.

At this stage of his career, the forward needs to be playing regular first-team football and Birmingham should allow him to leave on a free transfer.

There is no point whatsoever in getting him to sign a new deal.

He is an experienced player and has proved with his performances this season that he is too good to be sitting on the bench.

With Birmingham currently six points above the Championship relegation zone, with four matches to play, it is time that Monk started planning ahead for next season.

The Blues boss needs to decide which players he will keep at the club and who he should let go and it should be an easy decision for him when it comes to Stewart's future at St Andrew's.