According to Belfast Telegraph, Rangers have been linked with a move for Northern Ireland hitman Josh Magennis in the summer transfer window, with reports claiming that manager Steven Gerrard is looking to add more firepower to his ranks.
Magennis, who currently plies his trade with Bolton Wanderers, could be available for a thrifty fee this summer, with the Addicks currently in a financial crisis and under pressure to balance the books following their relegation to League One. (h/t Belfast Telegraph)
Belfast Telegraph understands that the Gers have held talks with the representatives of Magennis, with a view to a potential move ahead of the upcoming season. The 28-year-old, who made his move to Bolton from Charlton Athletic last summer for a fee of £400,000, has only one year left on his current contract with the Addicks.
Magennis didn’t live up to the expectations at Bolton this past season and a miserable run of form saw him score just 4 goals in 42 appearances in the Championship, as Phil Parkinson’s side failed to beat the drop in the second-tier.
The Northern Irishman rose through the youth ranks at Cardiff City in the Championship but he made only a handful of appearances for the Bluebirds and spent time on loan at Grimsby Town before moving north of the border to join Aberdeen. His time at the Pittodrie Stadium wasn’t a fruitful one, though, with Magennis netting just 12 goals in 123 appearances over the course of four seasons.
Those returns improved somewhat upon his switch to fellow Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock in the summer of 2014 and the 28-year-old went on to register 20 goals in 84 appearances in all competitions during his two-year stint at Rugby Park. Magennis returned to England with Charlton in League One and struck a further 20 goals in 88 outings before earning a move to Bolton in the Championship.
Magennis, who has 5 goals in 41 senior international appearances for Northern Ireland, has an overall record of 59 goals in 365 appearances for the likes of Bolton, Grimsby, Kilmarnock, Aberdeen, St.Mirren and Cardiff City.
To put things into perspective, those numbers are really underwhelming and the fans at Ibrox hardly have anything to be thrilled with Rangers’ links to the Northern Irish frontman. The Gers have already made quite a few signings prior to the upcoming season, and while they should continue to look for quality players to add more depth and quality to their ranks, someone like Josh Magennis doesn’t really fit the bill.
The 28-year-old’s experience of playing in the Scottish top-flight could prompt Rangers to make a move for him but Gerrard needs to be aware of his lack of consistency.
He just hasn’t doesn’t enough over the years to convince that he is capable of delivering the goods in front of goal week-in-week-out and one cannot help but feel that Rangers need to look at better players if they are really serious about challenging Celtic for the domestic title next term.
The likes of Jordan Jones and Jake Hastie are set to arrive at Ibrox on pre-contract deals, whilst the decision to turn Steven Davis’ loan deal into a permanent transfer can also be looked upon as a shrewd piece of business from the Gers. However, they can certainly do with another centre-forward in their ranks, given that Kyle Lafferty failed miserably last season.
Lafferty’s departure would leave Rangers with Alfredo Morelos and Jermain Defoe as options in front of goal, and with speculations surrounding the Colombian’s future at Ibrox, the Gers certainly need to look for alternatives. However, they need to make sure that whoever comes in through the door arrives as an upgrade on their existing options.
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Magennis’ style of play doesn’t fit Gerrard’s philosophy of attractive and dynamic football and his record is hardly prolific enough to prompt a change in the system at Ibrox next season.
Suffice to say, Rangers would be better off dropping their interest in the 6ft. 2-inch centre-forward and look at other options if they really feel the need to bolster their ranks.