Steven Gerrard hinted that Rangers are still looking for a centre-back as former target Kean Bryan moves to Sheffield United.
The former Liverpool man said that his team were still looking to strengthen in one or two areas but he wouldn’t be rushed into making wrong decisions. With the move for Striker Kyle Lafferty looking more likely by the day, attention will now shift into plugging the gaps in Rangers defensive reinforcements.
Conor Goldson and Nikola Katic have come in and so far they have looked like a steady, composed defensive pairing in front of fellow new signing Allan McGregor. Rangers have yet to ship a goal in over 500 minutes of football at the beginning of Gerrard’s tenure, but there can be little doubting that choices are limited for Rangers in this position.
Bruno Alves, an expensive, high profile signing who never looked like his heart was in it, and Fabio Cardoso, an expensive, low profile signing who perhaps had too much, followed far-and-away Rangers best CB last season, David Bates, out the revolving door at Ibrox. Danny Wilson also exited half way through the season.
With only two recognised first team centre backs now at the club, Rangers would have to turn to young Kyle Bradley, who started in a pre-season friendly against Wigan, or young Aidan Wilson, a highly-rated young product from the Rangers Youth Academy, if they couldn’t get someone in.
With a move for Lafferty edging closer, and looking at the targets Rangers have missed out on this pre-season, from Millwall’s Jake Cooper to Kean Bryan, Gerrard has singled out a a young, hungry, British centre back to become the missing piece of the puzzle.
Then, Gerrard believes, Rangers will be closer to competing on multiple fronts this season.