Oliver McBurnie celebrates after scoring a goal against Manchester United (Getty Images)
According to Daily Record, Sheffield United forward Oliver McBurnie has expressed his desire to play for Rangers in the future.
McBurnie, 23, is a product of Leeds United and Bradford City’s youth academy. He joined Swansea City in the summer of 2015 and was sent on loan to multiple clubs before making a permanent switch to the Blades last summer.
He has been in good nick since last season and has also earned the first-choice spot in the latter stages of this season under Chris Wilder. Thus, Rangers should make a move for the Scotsman in the summer to boost their attacking unit.
Steven Gerrard’s men have fallen back in the Premiership title race. They are 13 points behind league leaders and rivals Celtic, and are set to miss out on the title for another year. Despite having a strong unit, the Gers have lacked consistency on several occasions.
Out of the last 8 league games, Rangers have won just 3 of them, scoring 7 goals and conceding 8 times. This is one of the major reasons for their fall.
Alfredo Morelos and Jermain Defoe have led the line brilliantly, scoring 12 and 13 goals respectively. But after the English veteran fell victim to an injury, Morelos did not score enough either.
Moreover, the Colombian has been linked with a move away from Ibrox in the summer, and Gerrard should look to improve depth. Defoe is already 34 and Greg Stewart has just one year left in his contract with the Gers. Florian Kamberi, who was signed in January on loan could be on his way back to Hibernian FC after his loan spell ends.
In that regard, signing McBurnie would do good for the Glasgow-based club. The Scotsman has been in fine form in the past two seasons, scoring 22 goals in 40 games for Barnsley last term and racking up 4 goals for the Blades this term in the fewer opportunities he has received.
The Scottish international would be a boost to the Rangers attacking unit if he replicates the same form he has shown in the past couple of years. His inclusion would also bring in healthy competition to the squad, whilst adding the much-needed depth.
At 23, he has a long future ahead and is a boyhood Rangers fan. At the same time, the Gers are in dire need of reinforcements to fill the void that would be left when Morelos leaves. Thus, to improve their standards next campaign, they should make a move for McBurnie in the summer.
