Robbie Fraser, the Glasgow Rangers defender linked with Portsmouth, has left Ibrox. However, as Blues manager John Mousinho confirmed last week, Fraser will not be heading to Fratton Park. Instead, the 22-year-old has joined Scottish Championship club Livingston on loan for the remainder of the season.
Fraser made the move to Almondvale on Friday after a brief 13-minute appearance in Rangers’ 3-0 victory over Celtic. He was registered in time to play in Livingston’s 2-0 defeat to Queen’s Park, which leaves them third in the league.
Earlier reports suggested Fraser was set for a £200,000 transfer to Pompey, but Mousinho quickly dismissed these rumors, opting to add Bristol City centre-back Rob Atkinson to his squad on loan until the end of the season.
Livingston manager David Martindale welcomed Fraser, praising his ball control, energy, and enthusiasm for the game. Martindale added that Fraser’s strong background at Rangers and his understanding of the game make him a valuable addition, noting that players like him are rare in the winter transfer window.
Meanwhile, Coventry City are reportedly eager to end Rob Holding’s difficult time at Crystal Palace. The 29-year-old centre-back has made just one appearance for Palace since his £4m move from Arsenal on the final day of the 2023 summer transfer window. Holding, who signed a three-year contract after more than 160 appearances for the Gunners, has fallen out of favor under Palace manager Oliver Glasner and has been relegated to the under-23s this season.
Sky Blues boss Frank Lampard is reportedly hoping to bring Holding to Coventry on loan to help the team secure their Championship status. Coventry are currently 15th in the league, six points ahead of Pompey, with Lampard having won three of his nine matches in charge, including a 4-1 defeat at Fratton Park on December 21.
In another development, Preston North End, fresh off signing Plymouth defender Lewis Gibson for over £1.5m, are now eyeing Wycombe centre-back Joe Low. The £750,000-rated player is also being pursued by Swansea. Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom is looking to strengthen his squad further with Low, a left-sided defender who has impressed this season with four goals in 24 League One appearances. Wycombe are currently second in the third tier.
Pompey are set to face Wycombe in the FA Cup third round on Friday, though it remains unclear whether Low will feature in that match as interest in his services grows.
Defender who departed Rangers for £800,000 in 2018 challenged to secure an Ibrox return this season.
Rangers supporters will recall Welsh international left-back Declan John from his brief stay at Ibrox in 2017/18.
The former Cardiff City left-back joined Rangers on loan from the Welsh club and was so successful that the club made the signing permanent six months later.
Only a few months after Declan John signed a permanent agreement with Rangers, the arrival of Steven Gerrard to the club’s management marked the beginning of the end for the defender.
But John could be returning to Ibrox this season after signing a short-term contract with one of Rangers’ Scottish Premiership rivals.
Declan John signed with St Mirren.
Declan John has signed a short-term contract with St Mirren until January, following the controversial dismissal of defender Jaden Brown.
The 29-year-old left-back joins St Mirren after being released by Bolton Wanderers in the summer following a loan spell with Salford City.
It is now up to the former Rangers defender to secure a longer-term contract in Paisley, with Saints manager Steven Robinson pressing John to make an impact.
“Declan is here on a short-term contract with the option to extend depending on how things go,” Robinson informed the official St Mirren website.
“Due to the conditions, we are severely lacking in defensive cover. Declan comes in with a wealth of experience.
“He’s played at some of the highest levels and has previously played in Scotland, so we’re quite fortunate to have him.
“We’ve witnessed his abilities in his first few days of training. He’s a talented child with excellent technical skills, but he hasn’t played much football in recent months, so we need to look into that and attempt to get him up to speed.
“To add to the squad with the quality and background Declan has, I believe we are very lucky at this stage of the season.”
Rangers are scheduled to travel to St Mirren on Scottish Premiership duty on December 26th, with St Mirren returning to Rangers on February 22nd.
It means John will have to sign a longer-term contract with St Mirren if he wants to return to Rangers next season.
Ex-Gers star is ‘delighted’ to be back in Scotland
Declan John returns to Scotland for the first time since leaving Rangers in the summer of 2018 to join Swansea City for £800,000.
However, the defender’s situation south of the border has not been favorable.
John was loaned out to Sunderland and then Bolton while at Swansea, before joining the Trotters permanently in 2021.
Declan John, who has returned to Scotland with St Mirren, is determined to make a difference for the Saints and says he is ‘extremely happy’ to be in Paisley.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be here,” John exclaimed. “It has been a hectic few days.
“I came up on Thursday, exercised on Friday, then went to witness the game on Saturday, which was a huge victory for the boys. I’ve enjoyed it and am looking forward to getting back into training.
“Everything has been so happy once we walked in, and you can feel it in the changing room. It feels like a pretty nice place to be.
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