Michael Beale wasn’t lying when he said that there could be a clear out with the news that Antonio Colak could be leaving Rangers, in Michael Olunga, there is a bargain replacement.
The Kenyan international has had a prolific but nomadic career, taking him from China to Sweden to Italy and Japan, scoring goals everywhere he has been.
Rangers should have Michael Olunga on their radar because, like Antonio Colak, he scores goals, pure and simple.
In his last 158 games, he has scored 140 goals between the J-League in Japan and at his current club Al-Duhail SC in Qatar.
Compared to Kyogo Furuhashi, Olunga has scored just five goals less in Japan despite the Celtic striker playing 100 games more and playing in the country’s third tier.
The Stars League in Qatar might not be the highest level but the SPFL is hardly on par with the Bundesliga or Serie A either.
It’s Olunga’s track record in comparative leagues like in Japan and Sweden that is impressive and his 21 goals in 48 games for Kenya.
There is a reason why players go to Qatar and it isn’t the quality of the football so it may be that the 29-year old is ready to return to playing against some of the best teams in the world in the Champions League.
At 6ft 4inches tall, Olunga is capable of playing as a target man and as someone who can link play and score goals.
The sort of player that Michael Beale is crying out for to get out of the habit of wasting chances every week.
What is also an added bonus about the towering African is that he rarely misses a game, a luxury that recent Rangers managers haven’t been afforded.
Rangers need more goals in the squad and more consistency in the forward line and Olunga’s numbers speak for themselves.
Shopping on a budget isn’t easy but in Olunga, Josh Maja and Jean-Phillipe Krasso, there are players who would instantly upgrade Michael Beale’s options – without breaking the bank.
