Rangers, the champions of Scotland, have announced the arrival of former Sheffield United star John Lundstram on a Bosman transfer. The Blades offered him improved terms to extend his stay, but the Englishman opted not to commit his future at Bramall Lane. He has now made his next move as a free agent and the Gers have leapfrogged the other suitors to secure his services.
“I spoke with the manager and he sold the club to me, and I was just taken aback by his ambition, vision and drive.”
Revealed the player upon penning a three-year deal.
The 27-year-old progressed through the youth ranks of Everton before being released by the Toffees six years ago. He himself rejected a short-term extension and left for then fourth-tier Oxford United in search of first-team football. He was instrumental in their League One promotion and eventually clinched a move to Sheffield United a couple of summers later.
While he has proved his worth in the Premier League, the contract conundrum impacted Lundstram’s game as well as gametime all throughout the previous term. The Blades endured a ‘second season syndrome’ and finished rock-bottom to get demoted to the Championship.
Why Rangers Have Done The Right Thing By Roping In Lundstram
The Gers, meanwhile, are gearing up for the upcoming Champions League qualifiers. They are well-equipped across the pitch but, at the same time, might lose a few of their star performers amid interest from European hotshots. Glen Kamara has drawn attention from Premier League for quite some time, whereas Galatasary’s keenness on Joe Aribo must have left the fans sweating.
Moreover, Steven Davis is 36 and the fitness woes of Ryan Jack would leave the gaffer with few alternatives across competitions. Nnamdi Ofoborh is another exciting addition, however, the youngster might struggle to settle in instantly due to the lack of first-team minutes last season.
What Would Lundstram Bring In The Middle Of The Park
Gerrard prefers a three-man midfield that offers versatility, vision, orchestration and ball-carrying ability. Although the Bears have dominated the show from the centre of the pitch, none of the midfielders has added enough goals to the game other than Joe Aribo.
Lundstram fired in 5 times and laid on 3 more in 34 league outings during 2019-20, something that deserves a lot of plaudits considering Sheffield’s style of play and scoring constraints (scored only 39 goals in 38 league outings). The Evertonian contributed to more than 20% of their goals despite featuring from central midfield and his creative spark high up the pitch would inject more firepower as well as quality.
