Not for the first time recently, Scott Wright was Rangers’ brightest spark. At least, until floodlight failure plunged their pre-season friendly clash with Sunderland into darkness, forcing a half-time cancellation.
The former Aberdeen winger went from ‘odd-one-out’ to ‘man for the big occasion’ during the final few months of last season. He was terrific against RB Leipzig, arguably Rangers’ best player in the UEFA Europa League decider and, most memorably, scorer of that wonderful winning goal in the Scottish Cup final victory over Hearts at Hampden Park.
And if his performance in those 45 minutes against Sunderland was anything to go by – all flicks, tricks and driving runs into space – then the 24-year-old is certainly picking up where he left off. Perhaps Scott does have the Wright stuff after all.
“When Gio took over the team, he did struggle a wee bit at first,” former Ibrox forward Greg Stewart tells the Daily Record.
“But by the end of the season he was a starter. As a player the more appearances you can string together in a row, the more confidence you build.
“You start to believe you can actually be a Rangers player and a guy the manager can depend on.”
What next for Scott Wright at Rangers?
The nature of Rangers’ transfer business, however, provides more questions than answers about Wright’s future on the blue side of Glasgow.
Rangers are closing in on the signing of Rabbi Matondo from Schalke. The Welsh whizzkid has been omitted from the Bundesliga.2 champions’ pre-season plans (Sky Sports).
The Scottish Premiership runners’ up also made two bids for Angers’ Angelo Fulgini. Per L’Equipe, the France-born Ivorian ‘diamond’ is on his way to Germany instead. Mainz are closing in on a £6 million deal.
Now, while Fulgini and Matondo are hardly peas in a footballing pod, one thing they do have in common is a preference for plying off the right-hand side. Ditto Theo Bongonda; Another Rangers target but one on his way to the UAE from Belgian giants Genk.
Clearly, Van Bronckhorst, Ross Wilson and co believe the problem created by Joe Aribo’s departure is not one that can be solved internally. The impending arrival of Matondo – plus the interest in Fulgini – is proof of that.
Wright is versatile and intelligent enough to play on both flanks, as he showed time and again at Aberdeen. But Ryan Kent has the left-wing role nailed down under Van Bronckhorst.
And Rangers’ interest in three right-sided forwards – one of which should be confirmed as an Ibrox player within the coming days – shows just how far Wright still has to go before he can consider himself an integral part of Van Bronckhorst’s plans.
At least he’s going about things in the Wright way.
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