According to reports in Belfast Telegraph, Rangers are looking to add Newcastle United’s young winger Rolando Aarons to their squad on loan. The move could be prompted by an injury to Jamie Murphy and unconvincing performances of Ryan Kent and Daniel Candeias so far. The Gers are already close to sealing a deal for Eros Grezda (a winger), but it seems like Gerrard wants to do some extra last minute shopping in the transfer market.
Rafael Benitez also recently indicated that they are looking to send their 22-year-old winger on loan. He was quoted as saying,”He will not be in the squad for Forest because I have to decide if he goes on loan. Clearly, it will be good for him. He’s not playing and he hasn’t played in the last year too much either. He has the potential to be a good player so he must play.”
The Englishman with Jamaican heritage dominantly plays as a left winger, so maybe Gerrard is looking to add more depth even after seemingly securing the deal for Eros Grezda. Aarons has been with the Tyneside outfit since 2014 and has made 27 senior team appearances for them. He had spent the second half of the last season on loan to Serie A outfit Hellas Verona.
What will he add to Gerrard’s team?
The winger has often been compared to another English winger with Jamaican descent, i.e., Raheem Sterling. However, things haven’t exactly gone as well as the way it did for the current England international. Nevertheless, Aarons has a severe burst of pace which would put the defenders in the Scottish league on the backfoot.
He is a left-footed player and prefers playing down the left in a more traditional winger’s role rather than playing on the right as an inverted winger. His meteoric rise in the Magpies squad significant because of injuries in the 2014-15 campaign where he missed most of the season.
Aarons has often looked composed in front of goal so that showcases that he can finish well when presented with goal scoring opportunities. The 22-year-old can work more on his crossing skills and when on the ball, he often looks to take the game to the opposition with his adventurous style of play.
However, there is still room for vast improvements when it comes to delivering the final ball in and around the penalty area as he often seems to make the wrong choice. That side of Aarons’ game will only develop if he keeps on playing more and that is what the Toon would be hoping for if they decide to send him on loan to the Ibrox. He is still rated highly at the St. James’ Park, and they would want him soon to turn into a finished product.
His lack of experience is his biggest shortcoming as so far, he has played just 69 competitive fixtures in his career. Injuries have played a major role in that number so Gerrard would hope that the winger would remain fit if he decides to go after him on loan. However, with the Gers close to signing a replacement for Murphy in Grezda, it seems unlikely that they would push hard to land this English winger.
