Rangers are reportedly closing in on bringing Kieran Dowell to Ibrox but the midfielder’s injury history remains a worry as far as former Norwich City coach Peter Grant is concerned.
The Daily Record claimed late last week that the one-time Everton youngster is set to become the first new face through the door this summer; Mick Beale preparing for a mighty overhaul on the blue side of Glasgow.
Dowell will reportedly sign a three-year deal at Rangers once his Norwich contract expires.
Now, the Gers seem willing to overlook the knee injury which has kept Dowell on the sidelines since February. But Grant – the Celtic legend who worked as both a player and a coach at Carrow Road – does not share Rangers’ apparent confidence regarding the midfielder’s durability.
“They are talking about Kieran Dowell. Norwich is a club I follow closely, and he has hardly played any games,” Grant tells the Go Radio Football Show.
“There’s no doubt of his talent. (But) he never seems to be fit.”
Rangers close to signing Norwich City’s Kieran Dowell
Dowell has only started more than 20 games once in a league campaign, during a loan spell at Nottingham Forest back in 2017/18. The former England U21 international has impressed when fit this term – scoring five goals and setting up three more from midfield – but it’s his ability to stay fit which has Grant drawing comparisons with another man who arrived at Ibrox hoping to shed an ‘injury prone’ tag.
“You look at what happened with big John Souttar,” Grant adds. “He had a few injury problems and then ended up having a fracture. I just think (Rangers) have to be very careful.
“You need to get all these guys fit and then it maybe looks a bit better.”
Rangers first summer without the recently-departed director of football Ross Wilson sees Beale and co under pressure to find high-quality replacements for the likes of Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos, Allan McGregor, Ryan Jack and Filip Helander; Rangers set to lose a host of experienced players in almost every position on the pitch.
Norwich paid £1.5 million to sign Dowell from Everton back in 2020. Now 12th in the Championship, the Canaries have missed out on even a top-six spot during a dreadful campaign.
Manager David Wagner, meanwhile, is not being drawn on Dowell’s future.
“I don’t like to speak about certain individuals,” the former Huddersfield boss said last week. “I know what is going on behind the scenes. But I don’t want to talk about it.
“Let’s focus on (our remaining games) and not players out of contract.”
