Dujon Sterling to eye prominent Rangers role if Elias Jelert transfer sealed
Dujon Sterling will be keeping a close watch on Rangers’ transfer business with a James Tavernier replacement likely to be sealed.
The back-up right-back has had plenty of injury issues this season, missing the opening four months through surgery on his Achilles tendon.
After returning, Sterling has often found himself behind the Gers captain in the pecking order, but with his fellow Englishman out of the picture, he may set sights on a more important role at Ibrox.
Any future right-back signing will threaten that goal, keeping the 26-year-old on his toes when it comes to future transfer business.
However, with Southampton loanee Elias Jelert emerging as a potential arrival at Rangers, Sterling will not have much to fear.
🚨 RANGERS TRANSFER UPDATE 🚨
The latest breaking news on signings, departures, and Danny Röhl’s primary targets.
Elias Jelert’s signing would not threaten Dujon Sterling at Rangers
While Sterling has not had much game time at Ibrox this season, neither has Jelert at St Mary’s.
In fact, the Rangers defender has just 10 SPFL appearances to his name this campaign and has more than double the minutes of the Dane.
| Statistics in respective leagues | Elias Jelert | Dujon Sterling |
| Games played | 8 | 10 |
| Starts | 3 | 8 |
| Minutes per game | 42 | 68 |
While the arrival of a competitor in any role can make a player fearful of their future in a squad, for Sterling, Jelert may prove the opposite.
During his limited appearances for Southampton, Jelert, who is rated at £8million, has not proven himself to be a strong defender.
In the Championship, he has maintained just a 45 per cent average when it comes to winning ground duels, meanwhile having a measly 28.6 per cent in aerial duels.
In comparison, that leaves the on-loan Galatasaray star with just a 41 per cent duel win success, with Sterling coming in at 51 per cent.
Overall, if you were in Sterling’s position, you would fancy your chances of becoming Rangers’ number one right-back if Jelert was your competition.
What type of player is Elias Jelert?
When it comes to the style of right-back that Jelert is, he is certainly a more forward-thinking defender.
His qualities on the ball are better than his traits off of it. Jelert’s skill set is seemingly more suited to being a wing-back, rather than a right-back.
Whereas Sterling, who is also an attacking option at fullback, is able to use his athletic ability to his advantage when battling in duels.
Overall, when replacing Tavernier, you will not have much luck finding a direct replacement, but Jelert does not offer much excitement, and he may not even be better than Sterling.
Don’t Miss a Beat: Your Rangers Insider Access
Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Govan.