Artem Dovbyk is not only prolific but soon-to-be a free agent too – meaning the Celtic-linked striker is pretty much ideal for Rangers.
Rangers spent heavily in the summer in an attempt to revive a squad that flattered to deceive upon their long-awaited return to the Scottish top flight last season.
There are still plenty of holes in the Rangers squad, however. And the Light Blues are not exactly blessed with a bottomless bucket of funds to finance improvements in a team that still looks some way from challenging Celtic at the top of the table.
If Rangers are not ready to fight Celtic on the pitch, however, the least they could do is to give them a battle in the boardroom. Especially as there is a prolific striker on the market for free – meaning a youngster of genuine star quality is not out of Rangers’ rather restricted price-range.
Cheap and prolific
The Daily Record reported on Monday that Celtic have offered a contract to 20-year-old Dnipro striker Artem Dovbyk. The highly-rated attacker is one of the most exciting Ukrainian players to emerge since Andriy Shevchenko and, after Dnipro were relegated last season after a debt-incurred points deduction, has made a huge impact in the second tier.
Dovbyk, an intelligent striker capable of drifting out wide and linking the play, is pretty handy inside the box too and has 12 goals in 12 games to his name in 2017/18.
While Celtic can already choose from Leigh Griffiths (below), Moussa Dembele and PSG-owned wonderkid Odsonne Edouard, Rangers’ attacking options are far more limited.
Alfredo Morelos’ goals have dried up recently, misfit Eduardo Herrera has two in 12 while Kenny Miller can’t go on forever at the age of 37. With Dovbyk available on a free when his deal with Dnipro expires in December, Rangers must at least throw their hat into the ring and put a greater chance of first-team football on the table.
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