Rangers, under Steven Gerrard, have been a resurgent force who are determined to redeem lost glory drawing an end to Celtic’s decade-long monopoly. The former England and Liverpool great has rebuilt the core with a plethora of new signings over the past three windows, and according to The Athletic (subscription required), the Gers are keeping close tabs on Everton teenager Lewis Gibson.
The 19-year-old Englishman was a part of the England U17 side that conquered the FIFA U17 World Cup crown a couple of years ago in India. He was snapped up by Everton in the summer of 2017 as the Toffees decided to pay £1m (with the price eventually rising to £6m with add-ons) to Newcastle United to secure his services.
Gibson, however, is yet to make his senior debut for the Merseysiders despite impressing for the reserves. He featured under Marco Silva during the club’s pre-season fixtures earlier this campaign but might depart next summer upon expiration of his current deal at Goodison Park.
The teenager is free to negotiate terms with his suitors from January onwards and Rangers, having succeeded in luring in young talents on a Bosman, might jump in and explore the opportunity ahead of the others.
What Gibson Would Bring In At The Ibrox
At 6 ft 2, the youngster offers both physical as well as aerial dominance inside the box. He loves to play the ball out from the back and records around 92% pass completion rate which exhibits the attributes of a modern-day defender. Although Gibson prefers to feature as a left-sided centre-back, his expertise as a left fullback has also been observed.
The Bears, meanwhile, are well equipped at the back with four top-notch centre-halves. Connor Goldson, Nikola Katic, Filip Helander and George Edmundson – all are fighting for first-team minutes, and the competition within the squad has helped Gerrard pull off results under certain adversities. Yet the presence of the English prodigy would add more flexibility in the defensive third, particularly to deal with the fitness concerns of Borna Barisic and Jon Flanagan.
Why Rangers Must Tie Him Down
While the Magpies are also plotting a move for their homegrown prospect, Rangers must replicate the Joe Aribo blueprint in convincing Gibson to ply his trade to Govan. They had to pay a compensation of just £300,000 for the Nigeria international while tying him down from Charlton. The club would have to pay another minuscule figure to abide by FIFA’s cross-border regulations. The player is keen on attaining senior minutes elsewhere, and a move to Ibrox should see him grabbing the same in the forthcoming future.
