According to the latest reports from the Scottish Sun, Rangers are eyeing a pre-contract deal for Charlton Atheltic striker Karlan Grant. The striker has been impressive in the League One this season as he has managed 13 goals so far. The reports add that the 21-year-old is being considered as a long term replacement for Alfredo Morelos.
The Morelos replacement part sounds weird as the Colombian himself is just 22. However, it seems clear that Rangers know that they would struggle to keep him at Ibrox for long given his talent and abilities. Grant is in the final six months of his contract, and the Gers are hoping to tie him up on a pre-contract deal.
Grant has represented England at the u-17 and 18 levels and is seen as a top talent to come from the Charlton academy. His goal scoring exploits also suggest that he is on the right path. But his signing showcases that Rangers are worried about losing Morelos by the time the next season begins.
As for now, the signing of Grant doesn’t make sense as the Gers have already secured the signature of Jermain Defoe. To go with that, they had also recalled back Ryan Hardie from a loan from Livingston. So the Bears squad is packed with decent striking options at the moment.
It is believed that the Gers will only have to pay a development fee for the forward as he is a homegrown striker. Therefore the fact that the striker is available on a bargain has probably made Gerrard and Co interested in this English centre forward. Championship outfit Brentford put in a £500,000 bid for the forward in this window, but it was turned down. So the Gers will probably have to come up with a much better offer than that.
If Gerrard can sign him in this window, it is likely that Grant would see minimal game time as Morelos and Jermain Defoe would be ahead in the pecking order. However, going for a pre-contract deal looks like a sound plan from the Gers hierarchy as they know that Morelos would be tough to tie down especially with the kind of season he is having.
The Colombian ace has already indicated that moving to the Premier League is his dream (The Scottish Sun) and we think an offer from an English top flight club wouldn’t be far off if he continues the excellent work from the first half of the season. Therefore this can be a clever piece of business for the Bears if they land Grant as he has the ability to rule the roost in the Premiership.
