If you were to rank Rangers’ priorities ahead of the summer transfer window, a new central midfielder or three would feature somewhere near the top, alongside a new goalkeeper and another number nine.
Come July, Ryan Jack, Scott Arfield and Steven Davis will all be out of contract. James Sands has already gone. Malik Tillman’s loan deal is due to expire too, with it still uncertain whether Rangers will trigger the option-to-buy clause in the Bayern Munich youngster’s contract.
Rangers have already been linked with the likes of Darius Olaru and Dimitris Kourbelis; affordable, high-quality options who have already proven themselves in a high-pressure, title-chasing environment.
Olaru will be a free agent in 2024, and may therefore be available on a cut-price deal. Kourbelis, meanwhile, is due to leave Panathinaikos for nothing in a matter of months.
Rangers would not even have to wait until July 1st to get Jan Gregus through the door, however, presuming that reports linking the Glasgow giants with the Slovakia international are correct.
Could Rangers make a move for free-agent Jan Gregus?
Gregus, capped 36 times by his country, was most recently seen at San Jose Earthquakes in the MLS. His contract expired at the end of last year, and the one-time Bolton Wanderers loanee remains unattached for the time being.
At the age of 32, Gregus would not be a long-term addition. But he could add experience, physicality and, at 6ft 3ins, a tough of height in a rather diminutive engine room. And while he lacks pace, Gregus makes up for that with his technical ability. A fine passer of the ball, the attack-minded Gregus also takes a mean free-kick. He notched seven assists during his final campaign at San Jose Earthquakes.
Gregus is left-footed too. Another potentially invaluable attribute given that Rangers midfield is lacking in southpaws.
“He does pretty much everything well,” MLS reporter Greg Seltzer wrote during his time at Minnesota United. “Gregus ably supports both the attack and defence. He leads The Loons in key passes and pass interceptions while being nearly impossible to dispossess.
“(Gregus plays with) consistent excellence.”
Given the extent of the rebuild required at Rangers – with so many key players out of contract – Mick Beale’s budget will be stretched to it’s limits this summer. The odd bargain buy, then, particularly one with as much nous and craft as Gregus, could go a long way to adding some quality depth to a squad that is about to become a whole lot smaller.