Steven Gerrard’s scouting trips can at times be labeled unorthodox, with his latest one falling into that category.
Gerrard himself wasn’t at it, but he sent a delegation to watch the AEK Athens vs Panathinaikos derby on Saturday. With the January transfer window closing in, it appears Rangers are gearing up for more signing targets.
There are a number of players that the Gers gaffer could’ve been monitoring. AEK Athens knocked Celtic out of the Champions League qualifiers this season, with several of them impressing.
The derby, however, was a drab affair that ended in a 0-0 draw. So who were Rangers looking at and who caught the eye?
The first name that comes to mind is Marko Livaja. It may be a name some of you recognise, as he used to play for Inter Milan before things took a sour turn.
He’s a newly-made Croatian international, and is a forward who’s largely been a journeyman in his career as of late. He did net in Athens’ 2-1 win over Celtic in Greece, and has bagged four goals in 10 appearances so far this season.
Then there’s another big star at AEK in Victor Klonaridis. He’s in similar form to Lavaja, with five goals in total in his 11 appearances for the club this season. Unlike his strike partner, he’s yet to receive an international call-up. Given that he’s Belgian, however, that’s understandable.
Fit the bill
Klonaridis would fit the bill for the kind of striker Rangers are missing. He’s a big-game player with goals against Celtic and Benfica to his name this season. At 26-years-old he will becoming into his prime over the next few years also.
AEK Athens aren’t cash-strapped, but they would deal at a lot more reasonable prices than other European clubs. Klonaridis is the kind of target-man Rangers want Kyle Lafferty to be. With question marks still hovering over the Northern Irishman, a move for the Athens forward wouldn’t be the worst move.
Over on the other side, the most widely-talked about prospect in the derby would’ve been Anastasios Chatzigiovannis. The youngster is a regular in the Greece under-21 set-up, and can play anywhere across the attacking midfield.
Primarily a right-winger, Chatzigiovannis can play on either wing, and that adaptability could be profitable for Gerrard. He’s managed to bag two goals and an impressive five assists in just nine appearances for the Greek side this season. Gerrard has been crying out for more creativity from his forward-thinking players, and that’s something Chatzigiovannis doesn’t lack.
The Rangers manager has shown a willingness to dip into unpopular markets. It’s helped the club recruit Borna Barisic, Nikola Katic, and Eros Grezda over the summer. It now appears as if they’re readying another attempt to dip into Eastern Europe once more.
