Rangers were strongly linked with a move for Motherwell’s winger Jake Hastie, and some reports even claimed (Daily Record) that the winger had agreed on personal terms with the Glaswegian giants. However, latest reports from the Evening Times confirms that Rangers have pulled out of the race to sign the 20-year-old after they grew frustrated with the negotiations.
It seems like the player is probably waiting for a much better deal to come his way. However, the Bears faithful might feel disappointed after this piece of news. After all, the player was available on a free transfer and the kind of form which the Scotsman had displayed in the last few months suggested that he could have been a top addition at Ibrox.
Surprisingly, MLS outfit Atlanta United could make a move for this winger. It will be interesting to see whether the winger will go on to join the American outfit.
Why Hastie Could Be A Big Miss For Gerrard?
Often young wingers have that pace and x-factor to their game and Hastie is no different. He can easily turn defenders in one on one situations. At full tilt, quite a few of the Premiership defenders would find him hard to stop. However, what really stands out in Hastie is his ability to finish off moves by scoring or by providing assists to his teammates. The winger has managed six goals after he came back to join Motherwell in January. Hastie had spent the first half of the season with Alloa Atheltic in the Championship.
What Now For Rangers?
Hastie is yet not a finished product, and he will need some time to reach his full potential. Rangers have already secured the signature of Jordan Jones from Kilmarnock on a pre-contract deal, and like Hastie, he too is also a left winger. Moreover, Rangers will have someone like Jamie Murphy available for the next season (the player suffered a major injury in August last year).
We feel that if Rangers manage to sign Ryan Kent permanently in the summer, losing out on Hastie wouldn’t be a big blow for the club. Hastie has the potential to turn out as once in a generation talent, but there are still a lot of ifs and buts involved.
The fact of the matter is that Rangers will still have three outright wingers for next season even if they don’t sign Kent so missing out Hastie shouldn’t be a big blow for the club. The club should look to go ahead and sign Kent though given his recent performances.
