According to the latest reports from Daily Record, Steven Gerrard made a pit stop in France to sign Rennes defender Edson Mexer. The 30-year-old centre half is currently in the final few months of his contract with the French outfit, and he would be available on a free transfer. Ligue 1 clubs like Nantes and Bordeaux are also said to be interested in this soon to be free agent.
It is believed that Gerrard wanted to add a personal touch while negotiating a deal for the defender, and that is the reason why he decided to go to France. It remains to be seen whether this tactic would pay off or not in the future. The manager has already insisted that he needs to add certain key players to the squad and a centre back would be high on that list.
Why do Rangers need to add a defender?
The Gers are going to lose the services of Joe Worrall whose loan spell is about to expire, and Gareth McAuley’s contract is also coming to an end in the next few days. Therefore the club will lose two centre-halves, and that would leave them with only Nikola Katic and Connor Goldson who were signed last season.
Mexer has been the mainstay of his side’s defence as he has made 41 appearances in all competitions this season. The Mozambican international also played a vital role to get his team into the Round of 16 of the Europa League where they lost to English heavyweights Arsenal on aggregate.
What will Mexer bring to the table?
The defender has the experience of playing in over 100 games in the French top flight and slowly he has managed to establish himself as an integral part of Rennes’ defence. The defender was recently in the limelight when he scored the equaliser against Paris Saint Germain in the French Cup finals. Rennes went on to beat PSG on penalties later on.
Mexer is reliable and robust in his challenges, and he should be able to cope with the physicality of the Scottish league. To go with that, he is a decent passer of the ball and Gerrard can look to build up from the back with Mexer in his side. On a free transfer, this could be a game-changing signing for Gerrard as Mexer has the experience and the quality necessary to thrive in the Scottish Premiership.
Therefore it is no surprise that Gerrard is seen pulling all the tricks to get him to Ibrox and Ranger fans should be excited if the defender decides to move to Glasgow.
