Will they or won't they sign?

That's been the main question posed about Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent since the summer. With contracts up in June, they are entitled to talk to clubs on January 1 about a move away from Govan.

When the Rangers Review talked to Stewart Robertson last month, he confirmed the pair were still in talks over extending their deals but no further news has emerged since. Given the pair's currently poor form, the question might be if they would be worth the very significant demands they are sure to be making.

Morelos returned from injury in a condition that left him a long way from first-team football and the form of Antonio Colak has meant he's struggled to even get in the team since. His start against Dundee on Wednesday stood as further evidence of a player going through the motions at Ibrox. He no longer looks fully engaged.  

Meanwhile, Kent has been suffering arguably the poorest spell of his time in Scotland. While the club went through a similar situation with Connor Goldson and he eventually opted to remain, it seems more likely than not that both players now see their futures elsewhere.

It may be that Rangers have no choice but to move on with all parties wishing each other well. From the club's point of view, it seems hard to justify dishing out wage structure-shattering deals to players who are not delivering to their natural level while the guys themselves may feel like a different environment could be a welcome change after several years in the goldfish bowl.

It will be painful knowing a £16.5m deal from Lille was turned down for Morelos but he did go on to become the all-time leading scorer in Europe. He was crucial to 55 and helped the team to the Europa League final before injury robbed him of what many think would have been a winner's medal if the Colombian had been around. With Kent, £7m was splashed out to prise him away from Liverpool and not to see that transfer fee recouped makes it a very expensive outlay from Steven Gerrard. These issues will have to be taken on the chin if the players do indeed walk out the door. It's a troubling situation that Rangers would likely not be in but for the onset of Covid which changed the transfer planning significantly as the market for players in the £5m to £20m range suddenly dried up.

The ongoing speculation was put to Giovanni van Bronckhorst once again before the narrow win over Motherwell at the weekend and the continuing noise has also masked there's another important contract ebbing away.

Leon King's rise has been sudden and looks to continue to gather momentum since Connor Goldson's long-term injury propelled him into the position of first pick defender. The 18-year-old has shown himself to be the quintessential modern defender in his appearances to date. Calm on the ball and with an outstanding capacity for the long-range pass he's got everything you need to be a success in the game. And yet, the contract he signed in January runs out in 2024. 

It means the clock is already ticking. Newcastle and Manchester United are credited with an interest as Premier League clubs continue their raids on Scotland as they attempt to snap up the best talent in Britain now Brexit has blocked their capability to tap into European markets.

Ross Wilson is already a sporting director under the microscope over his work in the transfer market in the summer, and a departure of Morelos and Kent for free would only further exacerbate that scrutiny. And while there may be a level of understanding that forces beyond the club's control have also played a part in the star duo's departure, no such benefit of the doubt would be given should King not be secured in the long term.

It's hard enough losing kids like Billy Gilmour and Nathan Patterson without seeing them fulfill their potential but to feel like the club have been bounced into a transfer for King because he wasn't properly secured to a water-tight contract would surely cause more ructions with a support already fomenting over several issues.

As for the player himself, he is on record wanting to remain in Glasgow. "I’d like to stay at Rangers as long as possible and make my mark here," he said this week. "That's up to the folks off the pitch, I've got representatives who will deal with that."

It would have been unthinkable only months ago, but it might just turn out that the most important contract extension of this year will be with an academy prospect rather than the two established first-team stars most are desperate to see stay.

This piece is an extract from today’s Rangers Insider newsletter, which is emailed out at 5pm every weekday with a round-up of the day's top stories and exclusive analysis from the Rangers Review team.

To receive our full, free newsletter including this analysis straight to your email inbox, click here and tick the box for Top Stories.