There were reports in January earlier this year that Rangers were interested in Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff who was on loan at Blackpool at that point. His performance for the League One outfit was impressive as he managed to make 45 appearances for them in all competitions and came back with a tally of 9 goals and six assists which is a decent haul as the 20-year-old is a central midfielder.
No move was finalised for the midfielder at Ibrox neither in January nor the summer but now that Longstaff is in the last year if his contract, the Englishman could be available on a cut-price deal as he is being valued at £300,000. Given that he is still 20, and the potential he has shown, this could be an excellent value for money addition for Gerrard.
However, having already roped in 15 players in the summer, one can expect the Gers to be a bit silent in the January window. But we are of the opinion that if the midfielder is available for sale then, the Light Blues should chance their arm in luring him. Apart from that, Rangers would be able to stop him from joining their major rivals Celtic who have reportedly been scouting him off late, and they could make a move for him in January.
The Gers faithful might think that they have plenty of options in midfield but two of their major players so far this season are just on a season-long loan. We are talking about Lassana Coulibaly and Ovie Ejaria. Both of them have shown good signs in a short amount of time, and one can expect them to play a crucial role this season.
However, there is no guarantee that the Gers would be able to sign them on a permanent basis next summer and there is every chance that both of them could be recalled by their parent club at the end of this season. The Gers could also be priced out from making a move for them so it makes that more sense to try and sign Longstaff who could be available for as less as £300,000 in January.
Longstaff is a perfect ball playing midfielder, and he even has the experience of playing in the Scottish League as he spent six months on loan with Kilmarnock where he looked more than handy. The Englishman is immensely talented when it comes to picking out a pass, and on top of that, the 20-year-old even does his defensive duties well. The midfielder is powerfully built and stands over 6ft tall so one can expect him to handle the physicality of Scottish Premiership.
Therefore given all the scenarios and Longstaff’s talent, we believe the Gers should definitely consider reigniting their interest and making a move for him in January.
