Rangers reportedly retain an interest in Sunderland contract-rebel Ross Stewart despite bringing fellow strikers Danilo and Cyriel Dessers to Ibrox already this summer.
Earlier this week, Rangers boss Mick Beale suggested that patience would be required regarding the club’s pursuit of Feyenoord forward Danilo, indicating that the talented Brazilian would not arrive until next week at the earliest.
The sight of Danilo posing for photos in Rangers blue on Friday morning then – the number ‘99’ on his back – came as a surprise.
So too did reports suggesting that Rangers, after bringing in Danilo to compete with Cyriel Dessers for the striker spot, are still running the rule over another centre-forward. One who’s name will be a lot more familiar with casual observers north of the border.
Rangers retain an interest in Sunderland striker Ross Stewart
Irvine-born Ross Stewart spent time with Rangers’ Old Firm rivals Celtic in his youth days, making his name at Ross County before joining Sunderland in 2021.
TEAMtalk now believe that a return to Scotland may be on the cards. Rangers, alongside Championship trio Middlesbrough, Stoke City and Southampton, are reportedly on red alert; Stewart rejecting the chance to extend a contract which is due to expire in the summer of 2024.
Stewart fired Sunderland to promotion from the third-tier in 2021/22, his 26 goals in all competitions catching Rangers’ eye at the time (Northern Echo). The physical frontman then netted 11 in 15 games in the division above. That was before his season was brought to a premature conclusion by an Achilles injury.
Whether there really is a place at Ibrox for Stewart now, however, depends on what sort of a role Beale envisages for the likes of Abdallah Sima or Fashion Sakala going forward. If the Rangers boss sees the duo as wingers rather than centre-forwards, there may be room on the blue side of Glasgow for another ‘number nine’.
Stewart’s work-rate and his ability to press from the front will certainly appeal to Beale. The Rangers boss discarded the prolific Colak, after all, due to concerns over his work out of possession.
“Everyone talks about Ross Stewart’s goals,” Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley once said (Chronicle). “But the way he defends from the front is the reason why, for me, is the best forward in the division.”
