Rangers have been quick in strengthening the squad this summer but now Michael Beale needs to trim a bloated squad with Antonio Colak potentially first out the door.
With Sam Lammers, Cyriel Dessers and Abdallah Sima signed already, competition will be fierce up front and then there are the continued links to Feyenoord’s Danilo that refuse to go away.
If Rangers do sell Antonio Colak, a bidding war would certainly help to get back what we paid, with The Sun reporting that both Parma and Pisa have “lodged an interest” for the Croatian international.
Should the 29-year old leave Ibrox, he will be doing so with his head held high, three goals in four Champions League qualifying games last season more than paid back the £1.8m fee that was said to have been handed over to PAOK Salonika.
The £30m windfall was appreciated, even if the six group games that followed weren’t.
A total of 18 goals and three assists in 39 appearances or 24 full games in terms of minutes is a more than respectable return for a player in his first season at the club.
That he was starved of supply for much of the first half of the season and missed a lot of the second half through injury tells its own story.
Rangers, with Michael Beale in charge, only saw Antonio Colak – on a reported £19,000 per week according to Salary Sport – available and fully fit on a handful of occasions.
An outstanding display at Easter Road suggested that the Gers gaffer’s system and style of play could get the best out of the German-born attacker but it wasn’t to be.
Injury problems left just Alfredo Morelos as a central attacking option.
Parma and Pisa currently sit in Serie B but will still have pockets deep enough to afford a player who guarantees goals, if the set-up is right.
Michael Beale seems to have almost completed his first phase of recruitment with just Jose Cifuentes left to be confirmed, however, Antonio Colak’s departure could see a return for Danilo.
It’s not often Rangers fans would gladly see the back of a player with such an impressive goals per minute ratio but, in this instance, I reckon it would be understandable.
