As Rangers’ summer transfers boost competition in the Ibrox squad, there is now an opportunity for Alex Lowry and Leon King to boost the club’s title hunt with Premiership loans.
The Gers are currently in the midst of a summer revamp several years in the making with a number of big names quitting the club, and just as many coming in.
With Jose Cifuentes likely to be summer signing number eight, the club have a number of options across the squad with the team’s investment not quite finished there.
There remains high-profile interest in Feyenoord’s Brazilian striker Danilo, whilst the likes of Auston Trusty and Jonathon Panzo have been linked in defence.
But as Michael Beale mulls over the steps he needs to take with regards his Rangers squad this season, sending the likes of Alex Lowry and Leon King out on Premiership loans boosts the club on a number of fronts.
Alex Lowry, Leon King likely to struggle for minutes
Not only do these young Rangers stars get the opportunity to develop at the highest level of the Scottish game, but Rangers see two of their highest-rated youngsters get regular minutes. There is no way the squad’s current status guarantees gametime for either.
Michael Beale has admitted that the centre-back area is overloaded, Leon Balogun coming into replace Leon King after a now better-than-first-feared injury and Johnly Yfeko emerging in the position.
Couple this with first choice centre-backs Connor Goldson, John Souttar and Ben Davies all staking a claim in their own rights and suddenly Leon King might not get the sort of first-team exposure he got last season.
In fact if he did, Rangers fans would probably be leading a revolt down Edmiston Drive given how critical the club’s defensive situation was in the last campaign.
Similarly, Alex Lowry is going to find minutes hard to come by this season, a mixture of competition in the first-team and youth set-up really bringing the young Rangers star to a crossroads.
Having travelled with the B Team to face OH Leuven, Lowry chose 70 minutes of gametime over a first-team cameo and if we’re talking about loans out of the club, the Rangers kid must be at the front of the queue.
The returning Tom Lawrence joins a stacked group of offensive midfielders in the Rangers squad, with Todd Cantwell, Kieran Dowell, Ianis Hagi and Sam Lammers also ahead of Alex Lowry in the pecking order.
Premiership loans can boost Rangers title challenge
The idea of striking up Premiership loans for both Leon King and Alex Lowry is also anything but a bad thing as Rangers look to properly challenge for the title.
Back in the title-winning season of 20/21, Rangers had Stephen Kelly (Ross County), Ross McCrorie (Aberdeen) and Jamie Murphy (Hibs) out on loan in the division, with all three landing blows on Celtic.
Our Old Firm rivals have also used Premiership loans effectively in this regard over the last few seasons and it’s something that Rangers can leverage to their advantage next season.
Not only would sending these young talents out on loan strengthen any Premiership club against Celtic, but they weaken the teams against Rangers because they are unable to play their parent teams.
It’s a win, win, win for all involved and if minutes cannot be guaranteed, we should be looking at loans in the top half of the Premiership for these two young Scotland talents in particular.
