Norwich City have barely played Steven Naismith all season – and he’s up for a return to Ibrox with Scottish Premiership giants Rangers.
A return to Rangers did not materialise over the summer for Norwich City forward Steven Naismith. But with opportunities rare at Carrow Road, the prospect of the 31-year-old making the move back to Ibrox in January cannot be ruled out.
Especially when Naismith hinted to The Mail that he would be open to leaving Norwich in January in order to force his way back into the Scotland squad.
“A return to Rangers would appeal. I’ve spoken in the past about Kilmarnock and Rangers and being appreciative for what they did for me as a player. I would look at those clubs and see if they were options to start with.”
On the face of it, bringing back Naismith would be an easy decision for the Rangers board. A clever and creative attacker, he still has plenty to offer and a lot of experience at the top level of the Scottish game – with three league titles on his CV from his time at Ibrox.
But would re-signing Naismith really send out the right messages? Rangers need to build for the future, a la Celtic, by signing players with youth and potential on their side.
Naismith, however, is probably well past his best and would likely command a hefty wage that would take up a decent portion of Rangers’ limited budget. And if they are looking to the future, does it really make sense to hark back to the past?
Naismith, who has barely featured this season and has struggled with injuries, would unlikely have the same impact in a second spell at Ibrox.
Perhaps Rangers would be better served putting all their efforts into bringing the likes of Jamie Walker or Lewis Morgan to the blue half of Glasgow instead.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
