Rangers recently completed the signing of Andy King on loan, and that raised quite a few eyebrows. The signing happened all of a sudden as there were no rumours of Rangers being interested in the midfielder earlier. Moreover, the club has plenty of bodies competing for a place in midfield. That is exactly why someone like Ross McCrorie departed from the club on loan even though he looked like a promising option.
Boyd on Rangers adding a midfielder
Former Rangers and Scotland striker Kris Boyd said that he is surprised to know that the Gers have added another option in the middle. Speaking on Sky Sports, he said (via The Scottish Sun), ”In that central midfield, they’ve got bodies, so it’s a bit of a surprise signing for me. I’ve been pretty vocal. Rangers need a left-back. If I were spending any more money [at Rangers], I’d have looked to get a left-back in. There’s loads of midfielders.”
Since January, Rangers have brought in Glen Kamara, Steven Davis, Joe Aribo and now Andy King. Kamara, Davis and Aribo have looked bright and impressive, and we think that there wasn’t a particular need for a midfielder in the squad.
Rangers had to let go of their promising midfielder McCrorie because there were already too many options. Maybe King is willing to bide his time as a non-regular and McCrorie wanted regular game time.
Why might Gerrard have gone ahead with this signing?
Now while we might feel that the signing was unnecessary, King can still have an impact. Also, one can try thinking from Gerrard’s point of view as well. We believe that the English manager wants to have one experienced head in midfield.
One might say that in terms of pure ability, Joe Aribo, Glen Kamara and Ryan Jack might be the best midfield three for the club. But it is clear that the manager wants the experience of Davis in the middle as he has been a regular feature for this Rangers side. The former Southampton player sits back deep and dictates the game with his smart movement and passing. There is a good chance that King will be deployed in a similar role when he gets his chance in the team.
Like Davis, King is a versatile midfielder who can do various kinds of jobs in the middle. Moreover, he is a Premier League winner, 50 times Wales international and has over 90 appearances in the English top flight. King’s signing is just on loan, but if he manages to impress, then the Gers might go ahead with his permanent signing next summer. Mind you Davis is already 34, and King can be a slightly long term alternative for being an experienced head in the middle.
