Steven Gerrard is realistic to know that every Rangers player has their price.
But in the case of Nathan Patterson, £5m just won't do.
The Daily Record reported over the weekend that Everton had come to the table with an offer for the 19-year-old, who is viewed as Rangers' long-term heir to James Tavernier.
Gerrard rates him extremely highly, although there was a feeling that because he hasn't used Patterson much this season, the club may be prepared to accept a cut-price deal.
Patterson has made just one appearance, in the Premier Sports Cup win over Dunfermline.
But speaking after Rangers' victory over Ross County on Sunday, Gerrard has firmly dismissed the reported £5m bid on the table from Everton - saying it must have come out of a joke book.
He said: “You carry on with the jokes – £5m, wow.
“Look, I’ve only just been told about this. It hasn’t been brought to my attention by anyone above me at the club.
“I’ll ask the question when I go back on the bus but if you’re going to talk about Nathan Patterson you need to get real.
“£5m is, I don’t know, that’s surely come out of a joke book.
“I don’t make the decisions in terms of when the right numbers are hit. All the players have got a price, we’ve said this so many times.
“We want to keep all our best players, especially our homegrown and local ones.
“There’s a big future here for Nathan. He’s got to be patient and he’ll get game time and minutes.
“We’re delighted with him, he’s not someone we’re looking to move on but every single person has got a number. But let me tell you now, £5m is so far away it’s unreal.”
