Rangers have to strengthen throughout the team if they are to be competitive next season with Kevin Thelwell, hopefully, hitting the ground running.
The new technical director couldn’t have asked for a much harder start to his role with a squad that needs to be rebuilt and a Rangers manager at the top of his to-do list.
Of the three main areas that Rangers need to pay attention to, midfield is probably the most complicated.
There is space to address the forward line and midfield creativity due to Vaclav Cerny, Tom Lawrence and Ianis Hagi all set to leave but it is in the engine room where things get complicated.
Kieran Dowell and Jose Cifuentes are only out on loan, but it was no surprise to see a player with Metinho’s profile linked to Rangers.
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It takes more than technical ability to succeed at Rangers
It is always hard to assess what type of player someone could be for Rangers, given the unique qualities of the club.
A good technical player can quickly look out of depth.
The best recent example is probably Nedim Bajrami.
There is no question about his ability to control or pass a football, he just hasn’t adapted to Scottish football at all.
It’s not a coincidence that his best games have come in the Europa League and against Celtic when there is more space.
Who does Metinho compare to in terms of playing style?
For Metinho, it looks like Rangers have identified his profile in the past as being one that they need.
The fringes of the Premier League can produce some bargains like Calvin Bassey or Dujon Sterling and someone who was on Rangers’ radar was James Garner.
A Bosman or loan move was ruled out when his contract was extended at Man Utd before being sold to Everton for £15m – slightly out of Rangers’ price range.
Using Data MB’s comparison model though, he is almost a perfect copy of how Metinho goes about his business.
Solid without the ball and in duels, the 22-year old Brazilian could be the perfect foil for Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diomande.
