A few weeks back, reports had emerged that Rangers were eyeing a deal for NK Osijek’s £3m rated striker Mirko Maric. However, the latest update from the Daily Record claims that the Gers will have to fight off competition from European heavyweights Fenerbahce if they want to sign the Croatian forward.
The Turkish giants are looking for a new striker, and they have zeroed in on the Croatian ace after Maric had an impressive season with Osijek. One can expect Fenerbahce to be aggressive in the transfer market as they sit on the 10th spot in the Turkish top division.
The Turkish outfits made it to the Round of 32 in the Europa League this season. But it is clear that they will look to make additions to their squad. It remains to be seen whether Rangers would be able to land their target when the summer transfer window opens.
Why Might Rangers have a slight edge?
This is not the first time that Rangers are looking to sign a player from Osijek as Borna Barisic and Eros Grezda were brought in the summer of 2018. It is believed that Maric is connected with the same agency as Grezda and Rangers have built a strong working relationship with them in the past year.
Why do Rangers need to go after a striker?
The kind of form Alfredo Morelos showed this year; he will continue to attract interest in the transfer market. If Rangers get the right price for the Colombian, then Gerrard can very much look to sell him. Kyle Lafferty hasn’t played much since he joined the club and Gerrard is apparently unhappy with his commitment and desire. Some reports mentioned that the manager had lashed out on certain players including Lafferty when Rangers were 4-0 down at the half time in a friendly against Liverpool’s u-23.
Therefore the club could be left with Jermain Defoe as the only strike option if the others are sold in the upcoming transfer market.
What will Maric bring to the table?
The 23-year-old striker is a complete package as a striker as he is strong on the ball but is also a willing runner in between the opposition defenders. The Croatian international has managed 18 goals this season including seven assists which suggests that he can even link up play well. Therefore he is a good mixture of a targetman as well as an intelligent runner.
One can expect a lot of competition for the striker as Osijek’s director had indicated that clubs from Germany, Italy and England were monitoring his situation. With Fenerbahce joining the race now, Rangers will have their task cut out.
