In an interview to Football Insider, ex Rangers ace Alan Hutton has tipped his former club to be motivated to make a move for Montpellier starlet Thomas Robert, son of former Newcastle United cult hero Laurent, ahead of their Glasgow rivals Celtic.
The former Aston Villa man suggested that the 19-year-old looks like a good prospect, and even took the time to hail the efforts of the scouting teams of both Premiership giants Celtic and Rangers, for the effort they’ve put in towards identifying him.
The former Premier League defender has even claimed that the Gers could be more motivated than Celtic to unearth quality youngsters and that Thomas Robert would tick all of Rangers’ boxes. Hutton said, “He obviously looks a good prospect, he’s still very young and it just shows you the scouting system at both Rangers and Celtic, they’re looking far and wide for players. We’re not silly now, we understand, even before this pandemic what was going on. Transfer fees weren’t going to be sky high so Rangers, probably more than Celtic, are looking to unearth these quality youngsters that have come through.”
How Did Thomas Robert Make A Name For Himself?
The winger was born in the French capital city of Paris in 2000, but actually spent most of his youth years with the Montpellier academy. Although Robert is yet to make his debut for the Ligue 1 side’s first-team, the 19-year-old has been training with the main squad for quite a while now. While being the son of former Premier League cult hero Laurent would obviously have helped his cause along the way, the fact remains that Robert made it this far solely on footballing merit.
What Would Thomas Robert Add To This Rangers Squad?
The youngster is a right-winger by position but is more than comfortable operating on either of the flanks, depending on his team’s immediate requirement. An excellent dribbler of the ball quite a lot like his father, Robert has the ability not just to bombard down the flanks and beat a man, but also the quality required to deliver a good ball into the box. Often seen sticking to the wide areas, the Frenchman boasts robust ball control as well.
Despite being small in stature, the Montpellier man is more than comfortable holding his own during matches and even tends to be deceptively strong when muscling off defenders. Having spent the entirety of his career so far in the French league, there’s a good chance that the winger would need a little bit of time to settle into life in the British Isles. While his attacking nature and sheer quality could make the youngster an instant hit with the Gers’ faithful, it’s worth considering that Robert still has a lot of developing to do at just 19-years-old.
Thomas Robert Would Tick All Of Rangers’ Boxes: Should Gerrard Get This Done?
The biggest attraction towards this move from a Rangers point of view will be the fact that the youngster’s contract with the Ligue 1 side is set to expire in the summer, which means that he would be available to sign on a free. Rangers, even more so that Old Firm rivals Celtic, are in requirement of a couple of good quality wingers who could stay in Glasgow for the long run. Like Alan Hutton has said, Thomas Robert ticks all of Rangers’ boxes, and this would hence be quite a smart signing by Steven Gerrard.
