According to the latest reports from the Daily Express as cited by the Scottish Sun, Rangers are set to target Patrick Thistle’s 17-year-old playmaker Aidan Fitzpatrick. However, the reports also add that Championship outfit Norwich City are currently leading the race to sign the Scottish starlet and they have even tabled a bid of £400,000 – with £150,000 up front.
It is believed that Rangers’ Director Of Football Mark Allen has given the go-ahead to sign the youngster as the Rangers scouts rate him highly and have given rave reviews about him so far. At just the tender age of 17, Fitzpatrick is playing senior level football for Patrick Thistle in the Scottish Championship and is considered a considerable talent.
The youngster has managed three goals in 14 appearances and is destined for big things. It remains to be seen whether he would be persuaded to move to England to join Norwich City. The Canaries are doing well in the English second tier and are sitting on the second spot which would allow them to move to the Premier League by next season.
Rangers are in need of a creative playmaker and are looking for a player who can make a difference in the final third. Gerrard even claimed that signing an out and out no. 10 is going to be his priority (The Scottish Sun) this January. However, we think Fitzpatrick is being seen as a future prospect, and he is unlikely to have a significant breakthrough this season if Rangers manages to sign him.
Nevertheless, it is always good to keep the young pool of players coming in, and it wouldn’t be too long before numerous clubs join the race for the midfielder’s signature. The Scotland u-17 star is contracted to stay with his current team until 2021. Therefore Patrick Thistle can demand a sizeable fee given that Fitzpatrick has over two years left on his contract.
The English club might have an edge in this transfer battle though. This holds true especially given they are doing well in the Championship and are in line to go to the Premier League through the direct promotion spots. The youngster would definitely be tempted to play in the English top flight someday. Therefore Rangers could have their task cut out.
A creative playmaker is often a rare breed as it requires a certain level of intelligence to operate in that position. Fitzpatrick seems to have all the necessary ingredients to thrive in the Premiership. It remains to be seen whether the Gers would be able to pull off a move for him in this transfer window. However, for us, Gerrard should give it his all to pull off this signing.
