Rangers have knocked Celtic out of the Scottish Cup after a gruelling 120 minutes at Hampden Park. But they might have lost Aaron Ramsey for the remainder of the campaign following a hamstring strain picked up in the first half. As things stand, the Welshman has played his last game for the Glasgow giants with no intention of making the Ibrox switch permanent (as claimed by Calcio Pillole via The Daily Record).
The 31-year-old midfield maestro joined Rangers on loan from Juventus. He was struggling for minutes in Turin and the Gers offered him an exit route back in winter. However, the veteran Wales international failed to settle in new surroundings and the persistent injury problems refrained him from securing a key role under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Although he was slowly attuning to the demand and aggression of the Scottish game, the latest fitness woe has brought an abrupt end to Ramsey’s Rangers stint (as reported by Gazzetta dello Sport, via the Daily Record). He, along with Alfredo Morelos, Ianis Hagi and Filip Helander are ruled out for the rest of the season and the manager, therefore, would find it hard in the coming days ahead of locking horns with RB Leipzig in a tricky Europa League semifinal.
Why Rangers Should Not Miss Aaron Ramsey In The Long Run
Meanwhile, Juventus are desperate to clear the wage bill by offloading one of the club’s top earners. He might be available on a Bosman in the upcoming summer window, however, the Light Blues should explore alternatives irrespective of Ramsey’s name and fame in world football. Celtic, their bitter rivals, have not chased high-profile stars but opted for individuals who fit in Ange Postecoglou’s philosophy and free-flowing football. Van Bronckhorst has bolstered the squad that he inherited from Steven Gerrard and it’s time for the Dutchman to bring in players capable of delivering week in week out across competitions.
The Gers have found some momentum since shifting to a 4-2-3-1 from 4-3-3. Ramsey was handed the right midfield role amid the absence of Ianis Hagi and his profound experience eventually helped him regain top form overcoming the difficulties. The gaffer has Scott Arfield in his ranks, who turned things around in Rangers’ favour since coming on as a second-half substitute; also, the resurgence of Scott Wright is a massive boost given his ability to slot in down the wide.
Having said that, the Light Blues must rope in someone who would complement Ryan Kent from the other flank. Amad Diallo, the young Manchester United loanee, flopped miserably despite a blistering start and it remains to be seen whether they replace Ramsey with another statement signing in the summer.
