Rangers Opinion: Martin Olsson could help the Gers forge a formidable backline next term
According to The Scottish Sun, Rangers are interested in signing Swedish international left-back Martin Olsson in the summer transfer window, with reports claiming manager Steven Gerrard is looking to bring a tried and tested left-back to Ibrox ahead of the upcoming season.
The Scottish Sun also understands that Olsson, who is out of contract at Swansea City, spoke with the Ibrox chiefs, and a move north of the border looks likely to materialize for the 31-year-old veteran.
However, if Rangers are genuinely interested in signing the hugely-experienced Swedish international, the Gers would need to fend off interest from Championship outfit Nottingham Forest, with Martin O’Neill’s side also poised to offer the 31-year-old a deal. (h/t Scottish Sun)
Olsson made 17 appearances for Graham Potter’s Swansea in the Championship this past season, playing a bit-part role in the first-team due to the presence of Connor Roberts, Declan John, Kyle Naughton and Matt Grimes.
The Swede rose through the youth ranks at Blackburn Rovers and has established himself as a household name in English football over the years since making his Premier League debut back in 2007.
The 31-year-old made 142 appearances for Blackburn over the course of a six-year stint at Ewood Park before switching boats to join Norwich City upon Rovers’ relegation to the Championship.
Olsson suffered relegation in his first season at Carrow Road but he helped the Canaries secure promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. He left Norwich to join Swansea in 2017 after making 129 appearances for the Canaries in all competitions.
The 31-year-old, who has 5 goals in 47 international appearances for Sweden, boasts of a wealth of Premier League and Championship experience under his belt, having a total of 346 senior competitive appearances for the likes of Blackburn, Swansea and Norwich.
To put things into perspective, Martin Olsson certainly fits the bill at Ibrox and he could be the perfect man to answer Gerrard’s prayers for a tried and tested left-back at the highest level. Given that he is only 31, the Swedish veteran still has plenty to offer at the highest level and it should be a no-brainer for the Gers to offer him a deal.
Rangers’ links with Olsson probably has a lot to do with the departure of long-standing left-back Lee Wallace to QPR this summer, which has left Gerrard short of cover in that particular area of the pitch. The Gers brought in Croatian international Borna Barisic last summer but he hasn’t done enough to earn a regular starting role at Ibrox, whilst former Liverpool right-back Jon Flanagan filled in as a makeshift left-back this past season.
Midfielder Andy Halliday has also been tried out at left-back but one cannot help but feel that Rangers need to bring in a specialist left-back with a lot of experience. 31-year-old Martin Olsson presents just the ideal option for Rangers and the acquisition of such a high-profile player on a free transfer would undoubtedly be a massive coup for the Gers.
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Rangers fell well short of Celtic in the race for the Scottish Premiership title this past season but they showed a lot of promise and the arrival of a few fresh faces in the summer should go a long way towards helping them post a better challenge next term. To sum it up, the arrival of a veteran like Martin Olsson could help rangers forge a formidable backline in the league next season.
