Social media is always full of speculation, transfer rumours very much at the forefront of current discussion.
One man at the centre of debate is Niko Katic, recently returned to fitness after missing the whole of last season following an injury to one of his anterior cruciate ligaments in his knee.
What’s next for Nikola Katic as Rangers defender faces uncertain Ibrox futurehttps://t.co/AIVm2573oz pic.twitter.com/5MXabnXW9P
— Daily Record Sport (@Record_Sport) July 14, 2021
Things have changed since the big Croatian international last pulled on a Rangers shirt, Leon Balogun was drafted in and made a huge impact on the Gers defence, playing a key role in breaking clean sheet records whenever he was called upon to deputise for Filip Helander or if his style of defending was better suited to the opposition.
The issue is that Katic is a hugely popular player amongst Rangers fans but, at best, he is down to fourth choice in the pecking order and simply won’t get the game time needed to see the best of him.
Which new signing are you most excited to see next season?
Nnamdi Ofoborh
Fashion Sakala
John Lundstram
With ACL injuries, it can take as long as a year to rediscover form after a player has returned to fitness, thankfully for Katic he is still young and will be able to regain things like his pace, but for him, timing tackles, headers, assessing danger, watching runners into the box – these are all things that can only truly be improved through playing games.
Niko Katic getting sent out on loan most likely hearts or st Johnstone. pic.twitter.com/sZJrTnbqfA
— The East Enclosure. (@TheEastEnc) July 14, 2021
Rumours of interest from Hearts and St Johnstone are interesting, he would certainly be guaranteed minutes and he would get to play against opposition that he would face for Rangers, even if they are below the level that he is capable of playing at, that just isn’t the priority just now, getting on the pitch is.