After it was announced Lewis Holtby will be leaving Hamburg come the end of the season, it didn’t take long for Rangers to be linked with the former German international.
The Daily Record reported that their sources claim Rangers have an interest in the player. Journalist Ronan Murphy backed that report up by claiming Gerrard is considering taking the player to Ibrox.
On paper, the 28-year-old poses an exciting option for Rangers. But is the former Spurs midfielder the man to spark some creative life into the stiff midfield at Ibrox?
Some Rangers fans certainly think so. They believe Holtby is a genuine step-up from the players currently at the club and is worth a shot from the Ibrox club.
But there’s no doubt Holtby’s career has been on the wane over the last few years. That said, we’re comparing it to a very high standard in the early part of it.
International and Premier League pedigree
As a 20-year-old, Holtby was included in the Germany squad for the first time. In sporadic spells in and around the first team, he made three caps. But the last came in 2012 when Holtby was 22.
At club level, the midfielder burst onto the scene with Schalke and eventually moved to London with Spurs. After two seasons he moved across the city to Fulham but never held down a place.
Now after five years as a regular with Hamburg, he’s ready to move on from the club. Rangers want goals and assists from midfield – Holtby has five goals and six assists in 27 games this campaign. It’s not a bad return, even if it is the German second tier.
Is it enough to solve that creative dilemma in midfield? It’s hard to say. But Holtby also provides energy and gusto in midfield, he’s a hardworking player and has all the attributes to easily settle into Gerrard’s high tempo system.
A lot of this might come to how much Holtby wants to be paid. But there’s no doubt Rangers offer something different for a player who may well be looking to fall back in love with the game.
And if he can recapture the form that had him in and around the Germany squad, it might be amongst the shrewdest acquisitions in our recent history.
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