Former Zamalek manager, Milutin Sredojevic, claims that Steven Gerrard contacted him personally to discuss Mostafa Mohamed as he looked at adding to his forward line in the January transfer window, according to The Scottish Sun.
Sredojevic says in the interview that his old club played hardball in demanding a £3million fee for the 22-year-old currently playing in Egypt and reflected on the phone call made by the Ibrox gaffer.
“Steven Gerrard called me personally to ask about Mostafa Mohamed. He wanted to know what he was like as a player and at training.
“But Zamalek made it very difficult for the transfer to go through because they don’t want to looked at as a selling club.
“So the transfer never happened, but Steven Gerrard was very keen indeed for the move to go through.
“Mostafa is a player with a bright future. He is an incredible talent who will of course go to Europe one day soon.”
Rangers may yet go back in for Mohamed when football resumes and with two full international caps for Egypt, he has the potential to develop into a top talent, never more demonstrated than topping the scoring charts in the Under-23 African Cup of Nations at the end of 2019.
With eight goals and three assists in 24 appearances this season, Mohamed is far from the finished article or at the current level of Alfredo Morelos and if the £3m valuation is to be believed, Gerrard would maybe be better served looking closer to home in the shape of self-confessed bluenose, Lawrence Shankland.
Shankland’s name was part of a list Goal reported over the weekend as Rangers prepare for life after Morelos, with Rhian Brewster and Josh Maja the most notable names mentioned. If the Ibrox club can secure anywhere around the £20m mark for Colombian international Morelos, it would free up significant funds to not only replace him, but also strengthen other areas of the first XI.
There is an uncertainty around the short-term future of football due to the coronavirus outbreak but it hasn’t stopped the transfer speculation stories from circulating, at the moment, Rangers fans would gladly see Kevin Kyle lead the line for their club if it meant that they were back in action – well, they maybe aren’t quite that desperate, yet.