Barry Ferguson has one big concern over new Rangers signing Sam Lammers with the former Atalanta forward arriving on the back of an underwhelming spell in Serie A.
It was an approach which worked wonders for Rangers during the January transfer window. Todd Cantwell, a player once valued at £40 million and linked with Liverpool, arriving at Ibrox on the cheap after finding himself down on his luck at Norwich City.
The hope will be that Sam Lammers, signed in a £3 million deal last week, can emulate Cantwell’s Ibrox success as Mick Beale looks to resuscitate another highly-gifted forward in need of a fresh start.
Since the start of 2019/20, Lammers has scored just 10 goals in 86 games during spells at PSV, Eintracht Frankfurt, Sampdoria, Empoli and Atalanta.
Ferguson likes what he sees from a stylish, cultured attacker who’s arrival gives Beale further depth for both the ‘number nine’ and ‘number ten’ roles. But the former Rangers captain adds that Lammers must improve his end product if he is to make a success of his time in Scotland.
Sam Lammers arrives at Rangers from Atalanta
“19 games, one goal (for Sampdoria last season). That’s the thing that stood out for me,” Ferguson tells Go Radio.
“I have watched a fair bit of footage and he can play the ‘number ten’ position as well (as at centre-forward). He looks decent. But when you are signing forward-thinking players, you want to see the numbers higher than that.”
Lammers’ outstanding 2018/19 season at Heerenveen – 19 goals in all competitions – is proof of what the elegant, 6ft 3ins attacker can do when at his most confident. The Tilburg-born 26-year-old will not replace Alfredo Morelos at Ibrox. But his vision, intelligence and guile could provide an effective link between midfield and attack.
“Sam is a player I have been aware of for a number of years,” Beale tells the Rangers website. “I first knew him as a young player at PSV and have followed his career closely from afar and he excelled in Holland both in the Eredivisie and the U21 national team.
“Sam will give us great technical and tactical quality; being able to play in a variety of attacking positions as a number 10 or nine. He was the first player I met with as part of the planning for the new season and during our lengthy discussions, it was clear that we share the same ideas on football and on his personal development moving forward.
“He has a strong alignment to the other players in our squad.”
