Sunderland suffer major blow as Jon McLaughlin agrees to Rangers move

McLaughlin told Sunderland that he would be rejecting their offer of a new contract, with his current deal set to expire next week.

The Scot will now join the Scottish giants and compete with Allan McGregor for the number one shirt.

McLaughlin will leave the club on a free transfer having made 90 appearances in all competitions across two seasons.

His departure will come as a bitter blow to supporters as the club begins rebuilding for a third season in League One.

The move brings to a conclusion a prolonged impasse that has exasperated the fanbase.

McLaughlin enjoyed an outstanding first campaign on Wearside as the Black Cats narrowly missed out on promotion, excelling particularly in the first half of the season as the team adjusted to life in the third tier.

Sunderland said they would open contract talks amid interest from Millwall and abroad, with chairman Stewart Donald insisting that he would not be sold.

Initial talks did not yield a positive resolution, with Donald suggesting that McLaughlin’s agent needed to ‘be realistic’.

Despite promising to revisit the situation, McLaughlin revealed in January that no further talks had been held.

The Scot had experienced a mixed campaign up until that point, his form dipping as the speculation over his contractual situation continued.

Phil Parkinson initially selected Lee Burge upon his arrival at the club, but McLaughlin bounced back and reclaimed his place with a strong run of form.

Parkinson was eager to keep the Scot at the club, and held tentative discussions over his future.

That led to a new offer after the curtailment of the 2019/20 campaign, but McLaughlin has now opted to move elsewhere.

Lee Burge, who has made eleven senior appearances this season, is contracted for next season while the Black Cats also secured an extension for promising youngster Anthony Patterson.

They had hoped that McLaughlin would choose to stay, but he will join up with Rangers, who have begun their pre-season campaign ahead of the new season.