Glasgow Rangers were not in action last weekend because they were knocked out of the SFA Cup by their rivals in the quarter-finals, which means that they will have had two weeks to prepare for their next league match.
The Light Blues take on Motherwell at Ibrox on Sunday in the Scottish Premiership as they continue to chase their first league title since the 2020/21 campaign.
Danny Rohl is looking to emulate Steven Gerrard’s success by bringing glory back to Ibrox, but the Gers are still one point behind Hearts with five games left to play.
What Gerrard had in his team were several players who consistently popped up with goals and assists to win vital points for the Light Blues, including winger Ryan Kent.
The English forward scored ten goals and provided nine assists in the Premiership that term, and there is a lot that the club can learn from looking back at his success.
What Rangers can learn from the success of signing Ryan Kent
Rangers initially signed Kent on loan from Premier League giants Liverpool before they paid £7m to sign him permanently in the summer of 2019.
The forward then went on to star in the title-winning side a year after his permanent move to Ibrox, with the joint-second most assists in the Premiership in the 2020/21 campaign.
|
Most assists in 20/21 Premiership |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Assists |
|
Ianis Hagi |
11 |
|
Ryan Kent |
9 |
|
James Tavernier |
9 |
|
Ryan Christie |
9 |
|
Callum McGregor |
7 |
Kent ended his career at Rangers with 33 goals and 56 assists in 218 appearances in all competitions, providing a consistent threat at the top end of the pitch throughout his time at the club.
Rangers can learn from the success that they had with the Englishman by targeting more players who are on the fringes of big Premier League clubs. Young and hungry players who have not quite made it down south, but still have the talent to be in-and-around that level.
Instead of going for experienced Championship players, looking at stars who are not getting game time at top English clubs could be a good route to more success in the transfer market.
Rangers may have unearthed their next Ryan Kent already
The Light Blues went down that route last summer for one of their signings, and that player is now starting to look like a Kent repeat at Ibrox.
Eyebrows were raised when former Rangers sporting director Kevin Thelwell splashed £8m on the signing of Youssef Chermiti from Everton, making him the club’s most expensive signing since Tore Andre Flo joined for £12m in 2000.
|
Top scorers in 25/26 Premiership |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Goals |
|
Tawanda Maswanhise |
17 |
|
Benjamin Nygren |
15 |
|
Claudio Braga |
14 |
|
Lawrence Shankland |
13 |
|
Youssef Chermiti |
11 |
Whilst it has been a bumpy ride along the way, the Portugal U21 international is starting to show value for money with 11 goals in the Premiership so far this season.
Only four more players in the division have scored more goals than the former Premier League attacker, who scored twice in the 6-3 win over Falkirk last time out.
Chermiti did not score a single Premier League goal in his two seasons with Everton, just as Kent never scored in the English top-flight for Liverpool, but he has finally found his goalscoring boots in Scotland.
The Light Blues look to have hit the jackpot with the 21-year-old marksman, who still has plenty of time left to develop and improve, and they could have made an instant profit on him in the January transfer window.
Turkish giants Fenerbahce were reportedly interested in a deal to sign the Portuguese centre-forward in the winter and submitted an offer of £13m to secure his services.
Rangers, though, decided to keep hold of the striker instead of banking a £5m profit on the £8m that they paid Everton for him last summer, and he has scored eight goals in nine league matches since they rejected that offer.
The decision not to accept that offer from the Turkish club has turned out to be a great move by the Scottish giants because the goals that he has scored since then have placed Rangers in a great position to go and win the league title.
Chermiti, like Kent, could help the Gers to win the title after joining from a Premier League club where he did not get enough opportunities to showcase his ability, and looks like further proof that the club should target more players in that situation in the future.
Rohl must finally sell forgotten Rangers man who’s “similar” to Ryan Kent
There could well be something of an exodus from Rangers this summer.
