Despite the Rangers’ recent good results lately and manager Mark Warburton’s delight with the impact his entire squad of players is having on the team, their glaring void in the midfield is definitely a source of worry for both the fans and the board.
The Gers have been an injury crippled team this season, which has seen most of its important players’ services shortened by injuries and absentees, which prominently includes Nico Kranjcar. Other options like Jordan Rossiter, Matt Crooks and Josh Windass are also unable to their keep fitness stable; the result is that Warburton has to do with James Tavernier in the defensive midfield position.
Warburton will be having yet another chance to bolster his squad coming January and an interesting option is available. Fierce rivals Celtic are very much likely to strengthen and Rangers can make a massive statement if they approach John Obi Mikel who has reportedly been put up for sale by Chelsea.
The anchor position in the Rangers midfield can be better and Mikel would actually be a level up for the squad, who finally returned to the top tier Premiership after four years. Although league leaders Celtic are miles out of their reach, in terms of revenue and points, a solid finish this season will be akin to making a statement of their comeback.
Mikel is yet to feature for Chelsea this season and is clearly not in Conte’s plan. He is expecting a move out of Stamford Bridge soon as his contract expires in six months, which hints a perfect chance for Rangers to table a bid and get him for a cut-price deal.
The main reason why Mikel hasn’t been quite present in Chelsea’s first team is due to the lack of his creative contributions. The 29-year-old sees himself behind the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Nemanja Matic, N’Golo Kanté and even Oscar. What Mikel excels is in defending and athleticism, and this exactly what Warburton needs at the moment, solid protection for his back four.
With Halliday and Jason Holt in the attacking midfield, Rangers doesn’t seem to have any problems getting the ball up front at the moment. The attack would further be less burdened when an experienced player like Mikel holds the pivot role.
With Chelsea, Mikel has won almost everything at the highest club level- English Premier League, UEFA Champions League and Europa Cup. And Rangers could definitely use someone like him in their squad. The only potential problem would be the wages issue. While Celtic have the Champions League revenue, Rangers have a tight budget.
