Although it was not as eventual as it has been for Celtic on the deadline day, Rangers are fine with the options they have got despite a couple of loan exits on Tuesday. Cedric Itten left for Bundesliga outfit Greuther Furth, whereas Nikola Katic returned to his homeland with Hajduk Split for the ongoing campaign.
The Bears, meanwhile, have a clause of recalling the Croatian in January, but the Glasgow Live Sport understands that the centre-half could be sold for around £3m if Hajduk wants to make the move permanent beyond the current term. Katic is a fans’ favourite at Ibrox, but the severe knee injury endured last year has now jeopardized his Rangers future.
The player wants to reclaim his starting status at the heart of the backline but has slipped down the pecking order behind Connor Goldson, Filip Helander, Leon Balogun and Jack Simpson. Katic silenced the Parkhead crowd by scoring the Gers’ first winning goal on the road in more than a decade and his urge to reclaim the lost ground has often been appreciated by Steven Gerrard during the injury absence.
Why Itten Might Have Played His Last Rangers Game
While the future of the 24-year-old is hanging in the balance, the egress of Itten raised a few questions considering their overreliance on Alfredo Morelos. The Swiss centre-forward had his moments as a ‘super sub’ and his physicality in and around the box often troubled the opponents late in the match.
Having said that, Itten has not done enough to cement an integral role in Gerrard’s set-up. Kemar Roofe and Fashion Sakala are there as the understudy to Morelos, also the presence of veteran Jermain Defoe as the fourth-choice ‘number 9’ adds enough depth as well as quality to spearhead the frontline. 6 goals in 41 appearances across competitions exhibit mediocrity and as things stand, there’s little hope left for the attacker to resurrect his Rangers career unless he enjoys a blistering spell with Greuther Furth.
Similar to Katic’s deal, the Gers might summon him back in winter but, at the same time, have allowed Furth to insert a purchase option. Itten is keen on experiencing the opportunity and the move, therefore, should be viewed as a win-win for all parties involved. Both Roofe and Sakala offer flexibility having showcased their efficiency down the wide, and the gaffer should rotate them accordingly along with Ryan Kent, Ianis Hagi and Scott Wright to handle the upcoming fixture congestion.
