Jason Jones

Sun 19 April 2020 10:30, UK

RANGERS OPINION 

The chances of Rangers having to make a move for a new striker this summer seem fairly high at the present moment in time. 

Speculation continues to mount over the future of star man Alfredo Morelos, with Colombian outlet Antena 2 reporting in recent days that both Atletico Madrid and St. Etienne have put their hats in the ring to secure his services.

And should the South American actually leave Ibrox this summer, the Gers will face a gargantuan task to replace a forward who – even after a dreadful run of form since the turn of the year – has hit 29 goals in all competitions.

One player who has been linked with a move to Glasgow in recent months, as per the Scottish Sun, is Livingston striker Lyndon Dykes.

The 24-year-old has been in impressive form this season, so much so that pundit Mark Wilson has named him Player of the Season for his current employers.

So far this term he has hit 12 goals and 10 assists in 33 appearances across all competitions, and according to a report from the Scottish Sun, his efforts are attracting attention from English Championship side Stoke City.

But, if the Gers do end up needing a new striker – and if they do decide that Dykes is the man to fulfil that role – is he worth going to battle over?

He is certainly a very different kind of striker to what Steven Gerrard already has at his disposal.

So far this season, he has an xG rating of 0.31, compared to Morelos’ xG of 0.72, as per Wyscout.

Those numbers make more sense when you consider the fact that he has just 1.93 shots per game to the South American’s 4.96.

But Dykes excels in other ways.

On average, he contests 23.84 aerial duels per game, with a win rate of 40.3%.

That’s a stark contrast to Morelos, who contests just 3.72 aerial duels and wins just a third of those.

The Livingston man also wins an average of 14.85 more attacking duels per game than El Bufalo.

Now, ordinarily, you may view those stats – as positive as they may be – as a bit of a problem.

At first glance, they certainly suggest that the Gers would have to overhaul the way they play to accommodate Dykes, were they to make a move.

The reality is, however, that the Gers are already surprisingly well set up to have target man as the focal point of their attack.

So far this term, Gerrard’s side have averaged 22.55 crosses per match, as per Wyscout – Dykes’ current employers manage just over 13.

Moreover, the vast majority of the time, the Gers utilise a 4-3-3 system, as pictured above.

This creates plenty of width, but also affords the centre-forward support from those players who are up there alongside him.

With the likes of Joe Aribo and Ianis Hagi playing in and around him – both whom average 2.46 and 2.6 progressive runs per match respectively – Dykes could prove to be a vital component in elevating the attacking output of several talents the Gers already have in their squad.

He may not be a like for like replacement for Morelos, but that’s not to say that he couldn’t be just as effective for the Gers in his own, unique way.

In other Rangers news, ‘Massive’ – Ibrox Exclusive: Bruce reacts to fresh Gers ‘kick in the teeth’ after UEFA report.