Back in December, Sky Sports reported that Rangers were tracking Tom Eaves with a view to bringing him to Ibrox.
The 6 ft 5′ Gillingham striker had scored 14 goals in League One at that stage. That’s a pretty handy number to reach before Christmas.

Eaves has 36 league goals across the last two seasons. (Photo by Kieran Galvin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
However, no move materialised in January. Instead, Rangers brought in a much bigger name, with Jermain Defoe arriving on loan from Bournemouth.

Steven Gerrard has confirmed he is looking to strengthen in forward areas in the summer, though [Evening Times].

Should Eaves be back on the club’s radar?

Since the turn of the year, the big target man’s form has mirrored that of his team. Indifferent.
The Gills are 13th in the EFL’s third tier, while Eaves has netted five times in 17 matches.
It’s a far cry from his potency over the first half of the season, but not disastrous either.

The striker impressed in a FA Cup Third Round tie against Premier League Cardiff. (Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images)
Over the course of the season, though, he averaged exactly a goal every other game and has notched two assists.
While those sorts of numbers don’t demand a move, they represent a very handy effort.
For example, Rangers’ current target man figure, Kyle Lafferty, has never averaged that sort of return at a single club. Admittedly though, he’s spent his career at a higher level of football than Eaves.
One big factor could be that his contract at Gillingham is up in the summer [
Transfermarkt].
It would be a big step up but Gerrard may still see him as a potential squad player. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
If the Gers had to fork out cash, he might not be worth the funds. However, at just 27, the forward should be entering his prime. Therefore, on a free, he would be an underwhelming, but low-risk punt.
It remains to be seen how much financial backing the manager will get this summer. But if a chunk of the budget goes on trying to tie Ryan Kent to Ibrox, it’s conceivable that the Gers could revisit this one.
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