NK Osijek striker Marko Maric would give Scottish Premiership challengers Rangers something very different in attack.
Osijek are in danger of becoming something of an unofficial feeder club for Rangers.
Last summer, Borna Barisic and Eros Grezda arrived at Ibrox from the Croatian outfit and, earlier in the year, the Daily Record claimed that The Gers were keen to raid the Blue-Whites again for star striker Mirko Maric.
Director of football Mark Allen, the brains behind some of Rangers’ most inspired signings in recent years, had watched Maric in action.
Valued at £3 million, the 6ft 2ins target man would certainly provide something different in Steven Gerrard’s attack, particularly now that Kyle Lafferty has bid farewell to Ibrox for the second time.
Lafferty’s departure opens up a place for a new striker in Rangers’ squad and, given how well Maric has started the 2019/20 season, now could be the perfect time to make a move.
“I continued where I left off last season,” the Croatian international told SportNet after scoring in Osijek’s opening game of the season against Slaven Belupo at the weekend.
“Of course, every attacker is happy to find himself among the scorers. I feel good, self-confident.”
In an ideal world, Rangers will be playing Europa League football next season while challenging for honours on three fronts back home so Gerrard needs all the depth he can get.
Alfredo Morelos is the old-school bull of a centre-forward, prolific yet tempestuous, Jermain Defoe is the natural penalty-box poacher while Greg Stewart is more of a number ten, a link-man in the Steven Naismith mould.
One player Rangers are lacking, however, is a striker with height who can dominate defenders in the air. Maric, then, would provide something unique in an already varying strikeforce.
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