Jason Jones

Fri 29 May 2020 17:26, UK

Rangers have already made it very clear that they plan to come out swinging in their battle to prevent Celtic from winning a 10th consecutive league title next season.

The Gers completed the permanent signing of Ianis Hagi from Genk earlier in the week, but according to Voetbal Nieuws, they might not be finished raiding the Belgian league just yet.

The continental outlet suggests that Steven Gerrard’s men also have their sights set on Royal Antwerp winger Manuel Benson too.

The 23-year-old generally operates on the right flank and is capped at youth international level by Belgium.

And while the Gers’ interest is still considered to be quite casual at this stage, it’s worth asking what kind of player they would be getting if they decide to seriously pursue Benson this summer.

In terms of end product, the wide man leaves a little to be desired.

20 appearances in all competitions this term has yielded just one goal and two assists – numbers that are far from flattering.

If we take a closer look at his stats, however, there are certainly more promising signs.

So far this term his dribbles success rate is 1.2% higher than Ryan Kent’s, and his cross accuracy rate is 2.4% higher too, as per Wyscout.

So how does that translate into his actual gameplay?

At times, without any exaggeration, Benson can be thrilling.

In the image above, taken just before a goal Benson scored in December, the winger picks up the ball in his usual position – high and wide on the right hand side.

Immediately facing up to his man, it’s clear that he has one thing on his mind, and that’s to drive straight at the defender.

His directness is refreshing, and he skips past his marker with ease.

The pace he displays is really quite exciting, and you can see how much of a march he has stolen over his man in such a short space of time.

The most impressive thing about this goal, however, is the strike itself.

You can see above that Benson is already shaping to shoot, and his self-confidence proves to be more than justified.

The power on the shot is something else, but just look at where the ball ends up in the net.

The shot is right in the top corner, and even though the keeper is beaten at his near post, you can hardly blame him for being stumped by such a strong, accurate effort.

And Benson’s raw talent was just as obviously on display in this assist from November.

This time, the Belgian takes the ball down from a long punt upfield, but rather than sidling up to his man, decides to burn him for pace before he has had time to set himself.

With a simple knock-and-run he is well clear of his marker, and follows up that impressive turn of pace with the composure and awareness to pick out his teammate, who is making a late run into the box.

That’s not an easy pass to play either.

Travelling at speed, he has to aim for a player who is still making his way into the danger zone, while also avoiding two defenders who are in much better positions to deal with the threat.

But Benson gets it spot on, and the quality of his delivery leaves his teammate with a simple header into a gaping net.

At the moment, given his goal involvement stats from this season, you would have to argue that he needs to start showing this kind of creative ability on a more regular basis, but it’s clear that he is capable of producing pieces of magic out of thin air – and that is a trait that will never go out of style.

Perhaps there are other areas of the field that Steven Gerrard should prioritise first this summer, but if the price is right and if the player is willing, Benson could be a nice little sweetener to add to Rangers’ transfer plans.

In other Rangers news, Ibrox View: Coyle comments show Rangers must learn to land knockout blow in 20/21 title race.