Three players Rangers boss Steven Gerrard must target instead of Dominic Solanke
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has been desperate to return the fear factor at the Ibrox ahead of next season. The Gers will be playing in the Europa League – provided they can navigate past the qualifying rounds. However, his biggest task would be to end Celtic’s dominance in Scotland.
Gerrard has made a raft of signings so far, bringing in over ten players. But it looks like Liverpool have rejected an offer to allow Dominic Solanke to move north of the border for a season.
The 20-year-old Chelsea academy graduate made 21 Premier League appearances last season. Tall and skilful, Solanke started just five top-flight games and played 543 minutes of football. He netted his only goal in a Reds shirt against Brighton in the last game of the previous term.
Going forward, Solanke could fall down the pecking order due to Daniel Sturridge’s newfound form and Xherdan Shaqiri’s arrival from Stoke. Given his lack of confidence in front of the goal, Solanke could still do with a loan move to hone his skills. Below, we look at 3 young talents Gerrard should target instead of the Englishman.
1. Borja Mayoral, 21-year-old (Real Madrid)
Could Rangers make a better statement of intent than signing a world-class player from the Spanish capital? Mayoral has struggled for minutes since breaking through from Castilla’s ranks in 2016.
Even with Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure to Juventus, the Spaniard could find himself warming the Santiago Bernabeu bench. Mayoral made only 3 starts from a total of 14 LaLiga appearances for Real Madrid last season, scoring 3 goals and providing an assist.
The versatile forward can play anywhere across the attack. Mayoral has won the Champions League, Spanish Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup during his time at Madrid. He clocked 338 minutes of action last campaign, fewer than Solanke’s.
2. Tammy Abraham, 20-year-old (Chelsea)
Abraham is another player who can play across the forward line. He spent last season at Swansea City on loan, scoring 5 goals and providing 2 assists in 31 Premier League games. The youngster also clocked 1721 top-flight minutes, over three times than what Solanke managed.
The Swans ultimately suffered relegation. However, Abraham also grabbed an incredible 23 Championship goals during a previous loan spell at Bristol City. Rangers would benefit from Abraham’s pace, clinical finishing and combined experience in the Premier League and Championship.
3. Enes Unal, 21-year-old (Villareal CF)
The 9-time capped Turkish international was a part of Manchester City’s ranks before moving to Spanish side Villareal. Like the two players above, Unal is versatile enough to be deployed anywhere in the final third.
He came through Turkish side Bursaspor’s academy, making his debut in the 2013/14 season in the Turkish Super League. Last season, Unal made 30 LaLiga appearances for Villareal and Levante on loan, scoring six goals and providing three assists.
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Like Abraham, Unal clocked 1719 minutes, over three times more than Solanke. His strong aeriel presence and long shots would be of advantage to Rangers. His vast experience from playing in the Turkish Super League, Belgian Jupiler League, Dutch Eredivisie, Spanish La Liga and Europa League, would be a valuable asset at Ibrox.
