Rangers pursuit of Sunderland striker Ross Stewart "will all come down to finance" and depend on whether any forwards leave the Scottish club, according to former Ibrox player Alex Rae

The 25-year-old made his Scotland debut last night on the back of a hugely impressive 2021/22 campaign with the Black Cats.

Stewart scored 26 times as he fired Sunderland to promotion to the Championship and has caught the eye of Rangers as a result, with the Northern Echo reporting that the Scottish club are keen.

The forward has entered the final year of his contract at the Stadium of Light but Sunderland are said to be ready to offer him a new deal after their promotion from League One.

His current situation will give Rangers hope that a cut-price deal may be possible and, speaking to the Daily Record, Rae has indicated what he believes will decide what club Stewart is playing for next season.

He said: "It will all come down to finance.

“He’s coming into the last year of his contract down there and I’m sure that will have a bearing on things.

“What’s probably more important as to whether this deal happens is what happens at Rangers.

“For example, does Alfredo Morelos extend his contract? He’s looking like he’s getting back up to speed after his injury judging by his social media posts of him working out.

“They have to decide what they’re going to do with Kemar Roofe too.

“There’s a few things at play here in relation to who tho go get this summer.

“But I’ve liked big Stewart since his Ross County days. I think he’s got good attributes and we’ve seen him score a variety of goals over the past year in League One.

“He’s been introduced to life at a big club with his Sunderland move. There’s no denying that in terms of the numbers of fans and the expectation to win, especially with them being in League one after four years, there are similarities to Rangers.

“What he’s pitched in to the cause in terms of a really impressive season at that level, shows he’s ready and I’m sure he’ll be looking to kick on again in the Championship or maybe somewhere else.”

The Verdict

Losing Stewart this summer would be a real blow for Sunderland, even if they get a sizeable fee for him from Rangers.

The striker was central to their promotion last season and looks set to be key to their hopes of staying up in 2022/23.

Should he have his head turned by the Ibrox outfit, however, it may be best for the Black Cats to cash in early and find a replacement.

The last thing they'll want is a transfer saga that drags on and a player whose thoughts are elsewhere.