Recently reports from the Scottish Sun emerged that Celtic are in a battle with Premier League clubs for the signature of Heart of Midlothian’s fullback Aaron Hickey. The 17-year-old briefly spent some time with Celtic’s youth academy before heading back to Hearts.
Reports in October from the same news outlet last year emerged that Rangers’ new Sporting Director Ross Wilson recommended Gerrard to sign Hickey in the January transfer window. He was then reportedly valued around £2m.
However, as per the latest reports, Gerrard doesn’t seem to be in the mix for his signature as the recent story didn’t mention anything about Rangers’ interest. Clubs like Manchester City, Southampton and Crystal Palace have been linked with the young Scotsman.
Why signing someone like Hickey will be handy for Rangers?
Rangers would probably need a new left-back in the upcoming season. Backup options like Andy Halliday and Jon Flanagan are running out of contract in a few months, and it is not yet clear whether they would be handed a new deal or not. We believe that they could part ways when the ongoing season ends.
Borna Barisic is firmly the first choice left-back at Ibrox, but Gerrard would be out of backup options if Flanagan and Halliday depart. Hence, someone like Hickey can come in handy then.
The 17-year-old has already gained valuable experience of playing in the top flight as he has made 30 appearances in all competitions for Hearts this season. Hickey has also shown his versatility as he has filled in at right-back, centre back and right midfield this season. The youngster is seen as an attack-minded fullback, and he can deliver dangerous crosses from the left. With Premier League heavyweights like Manchester City interested in him, that is enough testament to his talents.
Being a first-team regular at 17 might mean that Hickey could look for first-team places when he chooses his new club. However, he will find it hard to make it to first eleven initially with the kind of teams interested in him.
One significant thing which could go against Rangers is that Hickey is known to be a Celtic fan and maybe that’s why there is no mention of Rangers’ interest anymore after the initial reports came out last year. Nevertheless, Rangers should try their luck in bringing him in the summer as he could be available on a bargain deal or maybe even on a free transfer.
