Ibrox View: Rangers must pounce on 26y/o dazzler compared to Gareth Bale
RANGERS OPINION
Upheaval looks as if it could be the name of the game for Rangers in the coming summer transfer window.
The Gers could lose a whole host of top talent, with Alfredo Morelos being courted by a number of top sides, and captain James Tavernier said to be angling for an exit too, as per Football Insider.
Another big name who has been linked with a potential move is Borna Barisic, with his agent suggesting earlier this month that the player would be leaving Ibrox in the summer.
Since then, he has done something of a U-turn, instead claiming that the Croatian will still be a Gers player next season, but at this rate, anything could happen.
With that in mind, it is perhaps wise that Steven Gerrard begins to eye up potential replacements at left-back just in case.
And he could do a whole lot worse than Vancouver Whitecaps star Ali Adnan.
The 26-year-old is included on a list of potential targets by Glasgow Live, and a closer look at him would suggest that he has a lot to offer the Gers.
Last term he has averaged a cross accuracy rate of 40% this season, a 3% increase on Barisic’s, as per Wyscout, and has completed 5.35 dribbles per game compared to the Croatian’s 2.39.
He also has an identical pass completion rate of 78.9%.
His last outing before the suspension of the MLS was a perfect example of what he can do too.
Adnan assisted the winner in a 1-0 victory over LA Galaxy earlier this month, and it illustrated all of his best qualities.
As pictured in the image above, the Iran international loves to get forward, and in this instance he has pushed into a brilliantly advanced position to nip in front of his defender and skip into the penalty areas – showing great pace in doing so.
Adnan doesn’t stop there though.
He then shows the composure and presence of mind to pick his head up, and cut the ball back deep to number 87, pictured near the 18-yard line above.
That pass, inch perfect as it was, cuts out two Galaxy defenders and allows the striker to move onto the ball with an open body, driving a shot across the keeper and into the far corner.
It was exemplary play from the full-back, and it’s easy to see why he has been compared to Gareth Bale in the past.
If he could bring that kind of creativity to Ibrox, he would be a major, major hit.
In other Rangers news, ‘Phenomenal’ – Alex Rae names Gers trio in Premiership TOTY.