‘He is a really big fan’ – 25y/o claims Rangers boss Gerrard scouted him for 18 months
Rangers loanee Florian Kamberi has claimed that manager Steven Gerrard had been scouting him for a year and a half before signing him in January.
The 25-year-old arrived on a temporary stint from Hibs at the end of the transfer window, but there is no provision to sign him on a permanent deal once his loan is finished, according to Football Insider.
Despite that, the possibility of a move has not been ruled out entirely, and Kamberi’s own update on the situation would seemingly hint at the strong likelihood of a transfer going ahead.
Speaking to Swiss outlet Blick, he said: “Steven Gerrard told me that he had been scouting me for a year and a half. He is really a big fan of mine.
“I have huge respect for him. He had a world-class career, so you can absorb every tip from him.
“As a guy, he is in a class of his own, he takes care of us players extremely well.
“Gerrard appreciates my dynamism and thinks I can help my teammates with my energy and encourage the fans.”
What does this mean for Kamberi?
If we take the forward’s comments at face value, then it would appear that the boss is certainly a big enough fan of him to make his move to Ibrox permanent in the summer.
Of course, there is no clause currently in place to ensure that happens, but there’s no reason to believe that an agreement couldn’t be reached for the striker, especially after the Gers were reportedly told that his parent club will slash their asking price for him, as per Football Insider.
As for whether to not he can cut it for the Gers, the early signs have been promising.
So far this term he has averaged 5.8 successful dribbles per game, won 3.23 aerial duels, and made 27.18 accurate passes per 90 minutes, as per Wyscout.
All of those stats are actually higher than Jermain Defoe‘s averages for the season.
Kamberi might not start every match, and he might not be the centre of attention all the time, but if he is happy to accept a slightly diminished role at Ibrox, a permanent deal is a very realistic possibility.
In other Rangers news, Charlie Nicholas issues Gers title claim amid Coronavirus pandemic.