Rangers have told Blackpool's on-loan goalkeeper Jak Alnwick that he will be free to leave the Scottish giants on a permanent basis in the summer, a report from the Blackpool Gazette has claimed.

Alnwick joined Blackpool on a season-long loan back in the summer transfer window, and has made a total of 24 appearances in all competitions for the Seasiders, although he hasn't featured for the club since suffering an arm injury in a 1-0 defeat to Accrington Stanley on Boxing Day.

The 26-year-old is out of contract with Rangers at the end of this season, and it appears as though one element of his future has already been decided, with the goalkeeper said to have no future at Ibrox.

Having joined Rangers from Port Vale back in January 2017, Alnwick has made just 11 appearances for the Scottish giants, and spent last season on loan at Scunthorpe as they were relegated from League One.

It is thought that Blackpool have previously spoken to Alnwick about signing a pre-contract agreement at Bloomfield Road ahead of the summer, although the subsequent sacking of manager Simon Grayson means things may have changed since then.

Furthermore, it has also been suggested that the financial uncertainty brought about by the current suspension of football could mean Blackpool are reluctant to offer any new contracts to players in the present climate.

As things stand, Blackpool are 13th in the League One table, 14 points off the play-off places and 13 clear of the relegation with nine games of their season still to be played at some point.

The Verdict

This looks to be the right decision for Rangers to make.

With Alnwick some way down the pecking order at Ibrox, it doesn't make much sense to keep him at the club, when allowing him to move on could free up space in the squad and wage budget to strengthen their playing options.

As for Blackpool, Alnwick's impressive performances for them during the first half of the season mean you feel they will be keen to retain his services beyond the end of this season, provided they can come up with the resources to do so.