The Brighton goalkeeper was on the shopping list after a disappointing campaign for Jack Butland last term
20:59, 16 Jul 2025Updated 21:34, 16 Jul 2025
Rangers bid to land Brighton goalkeeper Carl Rushworth is reportedly off.
Russell Martin had been keen on a reunion with the former Swansea shot-stopper at Ibrox as he looked to provide competition for Jack Butland and Liam Kelly.
The England U21 international made his breakthrough in Wales under Martin in 2023/24 – and spent the first half of last season on loan at Hull but returned to Brighton in January and was second fiddle to Jason Steele.
And with reports south of the border suggest that with the 24-year-old is set to extend his contract with the Premier League side, a move to Rangers appears to be off the table.
Brighton keeper Carl Rushworth(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
A deal is “off as it stands”, report talkSPORT, with Brighton unwilling to sanction a deal. Belgian champions Union Saint Gilloise have also made an offer but it is claimed the player is not keen on a deal.
Coventry City are also said to be chasing a loan deal – but it leaves boss Martin and sporting director Kevin Thelwell searching elsewhere for a new goalkeeper.
Jack Butland struggled for form last season and made several high-profile errors and was replaced by Liam Kelly for a long spell – with the Scotland international ending the campaign as the Light Blues; No. 1.
Martin has already admitted he would like to add a third goalkeeper. Speaking last weekend, the Rangers boss said: “I think you need to have two good goalkeepers, ideally three at a club like this.
“So I think it’s the same as any position. We’ll keep assessing what they can do, what they can’t do.
“We have two good goalkeepers, we’re fortunate with that. But if there’s someone who’s desperate to play here and we think can help us, it’s the same at any position – as long as it doesn’t affect other things in the balance of the squad, then we’ll always look to it.
“But at the minute I’ve been happy with those two guys.”
Rangers’ Jack Butland and Kieran Dowell during a training session at St George’s Park,
With Rushworth appearing to be off the table, it leaves Butland and Kelly as the two choices between the sticks for the clash with Panathinaikos as the deadline for submitting the squad to UEFA for the Champions League qualifier falls on Thursday evening.
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