Lassana Coulibaly has caught the eye at Glasgow Rangers with Holt out on loan at Fleetwood Town.
Steven Gerrard is already looking to sign Lassana Coulibaly on a permanent basis and no wonder.
The 22-year-old has been very impressive since he arrived at Ibrox on loan from Ligue 1 side Angers in the summer, adding tenacity in midfield and helping Rangers thrive in their first European campaign for seven years.
Speaking to the Daily Record, Gerrard has made it clear that he wants Coulibaly to stay for the long haul.
“We would love to have Lassana on a full-time basis,” he said.
But could these comments be a dagger to the heart of Jason Holt?
Coulibaly has taken up the role of Holt at Rangers, providing energy in the centre of the park and protection in front of the defence, performing those duties more effectively than the former Hearts man.
Holt is currently on loan in England’s third tier with Fleetwood Town and, after a bright start, his form has dipped like many of his teammates.
The 25-year-old featured in a 2-0 Checkatrade trophy defeat against Rochdale last week and he appeared to be among a number of players who found themselves on the wrong side of manager Joey Barton.
“But I thought the senior players were really poor. I think they need to go away and have a long, hard look at themselves,” former Rangers midfielder Barton told the Sun.
“They have to decide whether they want to play for this football club because the performance does not warrant that.”
Holt needs to find form and fast if he is to catch Gerrard’s eye. But, if Coulibaly’s loan move is made permanent, it may be too late anyway.
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