Even the most hard-nosed Rangers supporter would probably have to admit, speaking frankly and removing those blue-tinted glasses for a moment, that the Ibrox outfit could learn a thing or two from their Old Firm neighbours when it comes to recruitment.
During Ange Postecoglou’s first few months in charge at Parkhead, Celtic tore down the derelict building Neil Lennon left festering on the green side of Glasgow and laid down the foundations for a new dynasty in it’s place.
Kyogo Furuhashi, Liel Abada, Josip Juranovic, Daizen Maeda, Jota, Matt O’Riley Reo Hatate and Cameron Carter-Vickers were all outstanding additions. The hits, to put it simply, comfortably outweigh the misses.
You certainly can’t say the same of Rangers. Since the summer of 2021, Rangers have signed 15 new players on permanent or short-term deals. Arguably only a handful – Malik Tillman, Fashion Sakala, John Lundstram, Ben Davies and Antonio Colak – can be considered a success. And even some of those are debatable.
The Ibrox faithful, then, would be forgiven for not getting their hopes up too much about the potential arrival of Morgan Whittaker. Even if the Swansea City playmaker would arrive on the back of an outstanding loan spell at Plymouth Argyle.
Morgan Whittaker is keen to swap Swansea City for Rangers
Whittaker, a left-footed right-winger, scored nine times and set up seven more during the first half of the season at Home Park; Argyle boss Steven Schumacher hailing his ‘brilliant’ displays and near-constant goal-threat.
Rangers need only look across the city, however, to realise that there is considerable value to be found in scouting England’s third tier. It’s just 12 months since Celtic snapped up Matt O’Riley from MK Dons for a bargain £1.5 million, and his market value has reportedly risen by around £20 million after just one stellar year north of the border.
The similarities between Whittaker and O’Riley, meanwhile, are not limited solely to their respective League One backgrounds. Like Celtic’s London-born Denmark U21 international, Whittaker uses his scalpel of a left boot to slice through unsuspecting defences. His set-piece delivery is often outstanding, and he possesses the ability to create something out of nothing.
Whittaker, admittedly more of a winger than an O’Riley-esque playmaker, is reportedly viewed by Gers boss Mick Beale as the perfect addition to solve Rangers’ long-running issues on the right-hand side.
The right right-winger?
According to the Daily Record, the admiration between Rangers and Whittaker is mutual too. The Swansea-owned 22-year-old would relish the opportunity to join one of Britain’s biggest and best-supported clubs. Rangers, however, will have to double their initial offer of around £900,000. The Swans are holding out for £2 million (Sun).
“He’s a player that we know. I think he’s a good player,” Beale told the Herald on Tuesday. “He’s Swansea’s player. But he’s certainly a player that I’m aware of, from working down south. Knowing his background, I think he’s a good player. Obviously, we’re looking to bring in more goals.”
Whether scoring them or creating them, ‘goals’ is certainly one thing Whittaker would bring to Rangers.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
