One year since Batshuayi links, could Rangers finally land marquee striker amid Defoe interest?

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Glasgow Rangers were surprisingly linked with a deal to bring Michy Batshuayi to Ibrox one year ago today.

It was one year ago today that a number of Rangers fans were reading the surprising report from the Daily Mirror which suggested that the Gers were amongst the cluster of sides interested in signing Michy Batshuayi on loan less than a year after he had arrived in the Premier League for £33 million.

It would have probably surprised few supporters that nothing seemed to come of the links, but Batshuayi is not the only marquee forward that has completely caught the fans off-guard by being linked with a move to Ibrox.

One year earlier, Mark Warburton had to field questions about Robin van Persie after one bookmaker suspended betting on the Dutch legend making a move to Rangers – as reported by The Independent. Unsurprisingly, Warburton gave the rumours little time and van Persie was not brought in.

Rangers fans have therefore, probably got used to seeing themselves linked with a marquee striker only to end up hearing little more about the reports before the window closes.

But could that be about to change this summer? Steven Gerrard’s arrival has seemingly given Rangers the desire to make big changes after an underwhelming season. A number of new faces have already arrived, and it appears that Gerrard and Mark Allen are nowhere near being done in the market.

Amongst the current rumours, The Scottish Sun reported last month that Rangers are eyeing loan deals for Dominic Solanke and Jermain Defoe. Solanke would be a superb signing having made a number of appearances for Liverpool this past season and having taken his place on the bench in the Champions League final.

But signing Defoe would surely end any ridicule that Rangers fans face for the previous links with the likes of van Persie and Batshuayi that came to nothing.

Defoe is reaching the end of his career, but his spell at Sunderland showed that he has lost virtually none of his lethal instinct in front of goal, scoring 30 Premier League goals across his final two campaigns at the Stadium of Light.

And while fans may not have given the links much respect had Defoe or Solanke been reported as potential targets in previous years, Gerrard’s appointment should give the Rangers supporters hope that marquee names could come to Ibrox in future.

One year ago, Batshuayi moving to Rangers seemed one of the most unlikely transfers of the summer. With Gerrard now in place, perhaps the Gers now have the real opportunity to land the marquee striker deal that some would argue is two years in the making.