Eric Martel recently scored his first Bundesliga goal for FC Koln which has served as a reminder of what Rangers missed out on last summer.
Ross Wilson was linked with several players, including a summer swoop for German youth international Eric Martel.
Capable of playing as a specialist defensive midfielder, he looked like a potential bargain, but we went into the season with only one player capable of this role.
James Sands has since returned to New York City after Nicolas Raskin and Todd Cantwell arrived in January, however, we are still without someone who can be Michael Beale’s “destroyer”.
Who else with Eric Martel were linked to Rangers?
Abdoulaye Sissako has a year left of his contract at Belgian outfit Zulte Waregem and fits the profile for our current recruitment model given his profile and the league he is playing in.
Paul Akouokou is another who is now into the final year of his current deal when the transfer window re-opens, however, his game time has been limited at Real Betis and he could be available at a knock down price.
Beale might not want to play two defensive midfielders domestically but, at the moment, only Ryan Jack really fits the profile as a modified destroyer.
A proper number six has to be a key target in the summer, we saw how open we were in the Champions League and how often the defence got exposed without Jack available.
Trying to shoehorn John Lundstram and Glen Kamara into a position that just doesn’t suit their skillset shouldn’t be something that the Gers gaffer has to deal with again next season.
With Wilson departed, Beale heopefully won’t have to, now that he has more responsibility.
A return for a previous target could well be on the cards with our patience in getting Raskin proving to be a smart move.
