Rangers To Trigger £800k Option On Scotland Call-Up: Is He A Genuine Bargain?

Rangers To Trigger £800k Option On Scotland Call-Up: Is He A Genuine Bargain? Rangers intend to sign James Penrice permanently from AEK Athens sooner rather than later, according to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke . Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, O’Rourke said the club want to end the speculation and secure the left-back’s long-term future quickly, with people behind the scenes at Ibrox viewing the £800,000 buy option as a major bargain. The clause stays active until next summer. Penrice arrived in August after Tuur Rommens injured his groin in the home defeat by Hibernian and a second loan for Jayden Meghoma fell through. The 27-year-old scored on his debut in a 5-1 League Cup win over St Mirren and has made 10 Premiership appearances since, covering 825 minutes. Rangers have conceded six goals in that time, sit second on 27 points, four behind Celtic with a game in hand, and Scotland head coach Sebastien Pocognoli has rewarded Penrice with a first senior call-up. Strong in defence, limited with crosses Penrice has made 22 tackles and 31 recoveries, and his 54 line-breaking passes show he drives play forward instead of simply clearing his lines. He has created 10 chances, set up one goal and completed five dribbles at a 71.4 per cent success rate. The weaknesses are equally clear. Only 11 of his crosses have found a teammate, a 24.4 per cent success rate, and at 5ft 10in he wins fewer than half his aerial duels (47.4 per cent). Rommens is fit again, but Penrice’s left-footed versatility lets McInnes pick both if he wants a different shape. Should Rangers trigger Penrice’s option now? GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – OCTOBER 24: James Penrice of Rangers is seen during the William Hill Premiership 2026/27 match between Glasgow Rangers and St. Johnstone at Ibrox Stadium on October 24, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) Yes, and the timing matters more than the fee. £800,000 is a fraction of the roughly £2m AEK paid Hearts last summer, so the price poses almost no risk even if Penrice settles into a rotation role. Moving early also lets Rangers agree a new contract before his Scotland call-up lifts his demands, and before a Championship club try again, as Middlesbrough and Blackburn did before he joined. Rommens at 23 remains the better long-term investment at left-back, so a 27-year-old Penrice should not receive a long, expensive contract. His crossing numbers also mean McInnes cannot expect him to supply width alone, and the savings are better spent on attacking depth in January. What he does give Rangers is a dependable defender who has seen only six goals conceded in 825 minutes, and that is worth far more than £800,000.