Rangers target Ike Ugbo has been left out of Canada’s squad for the CONCACAF Gold Cup – which may just help Michael Beale.
The Gers have landed one striker this summer with Sam Lammers completing a move from Atalanta last week.
Rangers need more though and a deal for Cremonese hitman Cyriel Dessers now appears to be up in the air.
That means Beale may need to go back to some other targets mentioned earlier in the recruitment process.
One of those is Troyes hitman Ike Ugbo, with The Scottish Sun reporting in May that Rangers wanted to sign him.
Ugbo knows Beale from the Chelsea youth ranks, just like the already-signed Dujon Sterling and rumoured target Jonathan Panzo.
A move would certainly make sense with Ugbo only starting nine Ligue 1 games for Troyes last season.
The 24-year-old needs more playing time, and that may have been hammered home by a snub from Canada.
Rangers receive Ike Ugbo boost after Canada omission
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is on the horizon as USA get the tournament underway this weekend.
USA and Canada will be joint host nations for this one and the two nations will be desperate to impress.
Canada captured a lot of hearts at the World Cup if not a lot of points, so John Herdman will want his team to be right at it in this tournament.
Canada have now named their squad for the competition and Ugbo is a notable absentee.
The striker was born in London but switched allegiance to play for Canada in 2021 ahead of the World Cup.
Ugbo has bagged eight caps for Canada but has yet to open his account and won’t be doing it in the Gold Cup now he has been left out.
There are a couple of trains of thought here.
The first is that Ugbo’s disappointing form for Troyes means he just hasn’t been called upon for the tournament.
The other is that Ugbo is just another Europe-based player to be taking a break this summer, just like Canadian stars Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David.
You would imagine that Ugbo would be desperate to take any chance to shine though, so his omission is a surprise.
This could be a boost for Rangers though.
If Beale makes his move in the coming days, there would be no waiting around for Ugbo to come back from the other side of the world to complete a move.
Signing players whilst away at major tournaments can be a real hassle but Ugbo’s omission rules out those potential problems.
Rangers can also give Ugbo a platform on which to shine domestically, especially under a manager who knows him in Beale – and we wouldn’t be surprised if the Gers pivot to him should Dessers stay in Italy.
