Scottish Premiership giants Rangers have reportedly shown an interest in Charlton Athletic’s Lyle Taylor – could he replace Alfredo Morelos?
Lee Bowyer fears that Charlton Athletic are fighting a losing battle as they look to keep West Brom and Rangers-linked Lyle Taylor at the Valley beyond this summer, speaking to Sky Sports, describing the 11-goal frontman as irreplaceable.
The signing of a former AFC Wimbledon talisman in the summer of 2018 has gone down as one of the best pieces of business in the Addicks’ recent history. Unfortunately, however, a striker who has scored 32 times in 63 league games for the London outfit is out of contract this summer with a new deal nowhere to be seen.
Clubs on both sides of the border will be queuing up to land Taylor on a free, you can guarantee that. West Brom, Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday were all linked by Sky earlier in the season and, for absolutely nothing, the 30-year-old is undoubtedly worth taking a punt on.
Especially with Bowyer admitting that Taylor’s future may lie away from the Valley.
“To try and keep him at the club is going to be tough,” Bowyer admitted. “He is so big for us and I was thankful to the owners for not selling him in January, because they could have.
“Are we going to be able to replace him next season if he goes? I don’t think we will with the budget we have. He’s definitely top five strikers in this division for sure.”
Rangers too are facing up to the prospect of losing a star striker in the off-season with Alfredo Morelos, despite a dreadful run of form since the turn of the year, attracting interest from teams all over Europe.
But Taylor, an experienced forward who has been pretty much unstoppable since that ill-fated loan spell at Partick Thistle in 2014/15, could be capable of filling a Morelos-shaped void in Steven Gerrard’s frontline pretty perfectly.
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