STV reports that English clubs Sunderland and Charlton are battling it out to land Rangers midfielder Greg Docherty on loan until the end of the season.
The 23-year-old featured for the Gers in a friendly against Lokomotiv Tashkent on Saturday but hasn’t made a matchday squad for a competitive fixture since August when he started a League Cup tie against East Fife.
It’s been accepted for some time that he was likely to leave during this window and now the race for his signature looks to be hotting up.
Although the STV report says that Millwall also registered an interest, it’s set to be a ‘straight fight’ between EFL League One outfit Sunderland and Championship club Charlton Athletic.
UPDATE: The Scottish Sun are now reporting that Docherty has made up his mind and will join Sunderland.
Verdict
It’s no great surprise that Docherty has a couple of options in England, given how well he performed whilst on loan at Shrewsbury Town last season.
Should he pluck for Sunderland, he’d be returning to the third tier and would link up with former Ibrox teammate Kyle Lafferty, who has just signed for the Black Cats on a short-term deal until the end of the season.
Opting for Charlton would give Docherty a first crack at the English second-tier under the management of Lee Bowyer.
The Addicks have just lost Conor Gallagher, who was recalled by his parent club Chelsea on Tuesday, and so they have a void to fill in midfield.
It sounds as though the Bluenose has his pick, so will he choose the bigger club, Sunderland, or the chance to play at a higher level, with Charlton?
