Ibrox View: Could mooted summer exit hand shock lifeline to 26y/o Rangers outcast?
RANGERS OPINION
All the evidence suggests that Jak Alnwick has played his last game for Rangers.
The 26-year-old is currently on loan at English League One side Blackpool, where he has been sidelined since December with a broken arm.
That horrific injury looks as if it could be in danger of jeopardising his prospects of securing a permanent switch to the Tangerines, but even if he is forced to go back to Ibrox at the end of the season, it seems as if the general consensus is that his time in Glasgow is quickly approaching its conclusion.
A recent report from Football Insider even goes as far as to suggest that he has indeed played his last game for the club, and that he will not receive any offer to extend his current contract which expires this year.
All of the being said, however, stranger things have happened than for Alnwick to make a comeback.
At this present moment in time, it looks as if Steven Gerrard’s current number two, Wes Foderingham, is also destined for the exit door.
The stopper has made it very clear in recent times that he no longer wishes to play second fiddle to Allan McGregor, and according to former Ibrox man Alex Rae, the decision for him to leave feels like a “no-brainer”.
And should he go, you would assume that it will open up a vacancy in Glasgow.
Could Alnwick pounce on that opportunity before his contract expires?
The stats are certainly promising.
Prior to his injury this term, he had averaged 2.2 saves per game, with 48.1% of those counted as reflex stops, as per Wyscout.
By comparison, Foderingham averages 1.39 with a reflex rate of 40%.
Similarly, Alnwick has averaged 2.55 exits per game compared to Foderingham’s 0.97. This includes things punches and collected crosses.
Incredibly, Alnwick also has a short pass completion rate of 100% this term, as well as making 9.11 successful long ball distributions per match.
In fact, you could even argue that statistically speaking, he has had a much stronger season than Foderingham in a lot of ways.
If the latter is to leave, perhaps there is still a very, very slim chance that he could resurrect his career at Ibrox.
In other Rangers news, ‘Massive’ – Ibrox Exclusive: Bruce reacts to fresh Gers ‘kick in the teeth’ after UEFA report.