Rangers have been clearing the midfield decks this week and with the departures of both Ross McCrorie and Greg Docherty to Aberdeen and Hull City respectively, there is room in the squad and space on the wage bill for new recruits.
Despite outplaying, out creating and completely dominating Livingston at the weekend, Steven Gerrard’s men weren’t quite able to carve out the gilt edged chance that would’ve seen his side go home with the full three points.
There is a gap in our midfield and a hybrid of Joe Aribo and Ianis Hagi would be the perfect fit to balance off the ball winning and retention skills of Ryan Jack and Glen Kamara.
One fleeting moment aside when Kamara ghosted past his marker on the edge of the Livi box with one of the smoothest step-overs you’ll ever see, the midfield axis spent the vast majority of the game goal side of the ball and – frustratingly for Gers fans – taking the ball off the centre halves before returning it to them whilst they were stood five yards away.
Aribo was sorely missed, as Kamara demonstrated – once – chaos is caused in an organised defence when lines are breached and the Nigerian international, other than Ryan Kent, is easily the best exponent in Rangers squad at picking the ball up and finding a way through bodies, be it through dribbling or intricate passing moves.
With his forward line looking a lot more rounded, Gerrard must now turn his attention to midfield and a box-to-box number eight would be greatly welcomed.
John Lundstram of Sheffield United has been touted but if I was in the Gers gaffer’s shoes I’d be looking closer to home in the shape of Motherwell’s David Turnbull, he has shown that he has fully recovered from the knee surgery that prevented a move to the dark side from being completed and with his goal against Livingston demonstrated exactly what is missing in Gerrard’s engine room.
Should Rangers make a bid for David Turnbull?
Yes
No
There would also be the hubris of stealing him from under the nose of Neil Lennon, Celtic had agreed a fee in the region of £3million for the Scotland Under-21 international last summer and it may be – because he missed the whole of last season – that a reduced fee, with add-ons, could be enough to seal the deal.
He had been on Rangers radar prior to his breakthrough season and, although it would still be a shock if the transfer went through, Turnbull could well be the missing piece of the jigsaw that would see us finally end our trophy drought whilst securing one of the country’s most promising players in the process.