Former Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday defender set for move to Europa League contenders

Former Rangers defender David Bates is on the verge of joining Belgian giants Standard Liege for a fee in the region of £650,000.

Belgian outlet Nieuwsblad understands that Bates has already emptied his locker in Mechelen over the past weekend and adds that he arrived in Liège to take his medical tests on Monday.

Bates rose to prominence at the age of 21 when he was given a chance to impress at his local club Raith Rovers. The Kirkcaldy born defender slotted seamlessly into the first team in the Championship, and after 10 appearances was moved on to a development loan with Rangers which was swiftly made permanent by the Ibrox club in 2016.

The young defender made 22 league appearances for the Gers in their first two seasons back in the Scottish Premiership after a period of financial difficulties. Both seasons at Ibrox ended with third place finishes, at a time when the Light Blues were still working to bridge the gap between champions Celtic and runners-up Aberdeen.

Bates was released by Rangers in the summer of 2018. He went on to enjoy spells at Hamburger SV, Sheffield Wednesday and Cercle Brugge before returning to Scotland with Aberdeen on a three-year deal in 2021.

The central defender was instantly a first team regular at Pittodrie Stadium but struggled to produce his best form over the course of his 31 appearances as the Dons fell to a 10th place finish, their lowest since 2004.

Bates' stay at Aberdeen came to an end after just one season and he returned to Belgium to sign K.V. Mechelen in the top-flight. The 27-year-old has successfully rebuilt his reputation with the Antwerp side and over the course of two seasons has played 60 matches, scoring four goals.

This form has earned him a move to Standard Liege, one of the league’s biggest clubs. Liege struggled last term with a 10th place finish but historically speaking have often competed at the very top of the Pro League table.