Rangers could be set to cut short Umar Sadiq’s loan deal, according to the Daily Express.
It’s the news everyone has been waiting on since Steven Gerrard first criticised his front-man. Sadiq has only had one Rangers start since joining on-loan from Roma at the start of the season.
That match was against Aberdeen in the Betfred Cup semi-final. It was supposed to be the Nigerian’s big chance to shine. Instead, all he was remembered for was a blatant dive when he could’ve easily slotted the ball into an empty net.
Alfredo Morelos is on fire this season with 14 goals already, whilst Kyle Lafferty is the clear second choice. Chances would be limited for Sadiq, and it looks as though Rangers could be set to cut ties with him and attempt to find a better replacement in January.
Gerrard said earlier this season that Sadiq had to improve “everything” if he wanted to be a Rangers star. After his performance against Aberdeen, the Rangers manager echoed the support in his frustration of the Nigerian’s dive.
Not enough appearances
Other than the Dons display, Sadiq has made only three substitute appearances this season. The forward has disappointed immensely in his loan spell so far. It’s felt for a while now as if Rangers were readying to pull the plug on the deal.
According to the Express, Rangers are after a minimum of four players in January. Their targets include a striker, a creative midfielder, another midfielder, and a defender. It’s unclear as to why Gerrard would feel he needs yet another defender, especially considering the club already have four available.
Rangers find themselves four points behind Celtic and five points behind Hearts. With Gerrard’s January plans looking fairly extensive, it shows the club aren’t satisfied with being a close runner.
Should Gerrard manage to bring in the players he’s after, it would take his signing total up to 19. That shows the length to which the club have had to go to to sort out the mess of previous years.
It’s going to be a big January for Rangers. Players will come and go, with many eyes set on who will leave the club. The first name on that list, however, appears to be Sadiq.
