Newcastle United outcast lands on Rangers radar

Rangers FC are monitoring the situation of a Newcastle United winger who is on his way out of St. James’ Park.

Rangers FC are preparing for their game against Livingston this afternoon, but the backroom staff continue to work on their scouting reports to identify targets who can bring long-term success.

All eyes are currently on Alfredo Morelos and his transfer situation as some notable teams are lining up for his services. Although the Colombian international is taking up all the transfer headlines, other potential deals are worth analyzing as well.

According to a new report from the Daily Record, Steven Gerrard is interested in signing Jacob Murphy from Newcastle United. The 25-year-old was signed by Gerrard’s former manager Rafa Benitez for a fee of £12m back in 2017, but the winger has not lived up to the hype in the Premier League.

As a result of his low productivity in the English top flight, Murphy has been loaned out to the Championship twice, where he suited up for West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday.

His loan stint at West Brom was nothing more than average at best, but his form did improve at Sheffield Wednesday this past season with nine goals and four assists in 39 appearances.

Murphy is best known for his quick pace and composure with the ball at his feet. Rangers would certainly benefit from having a player like Murphy in the squad, but it would be interesting to see what kind of role Gerrard would give him.

Signing a winger is not a primary objective for the Gers, but adding more depth to the squad and having more internal competition during a critical season is not a bad idea.

Newcastle United would prefer to sell Murphy this summer, but a third loan spell is not out of the question. Rangers would need to act quickly, though, as Championship outfit Nottingham Forest are also interested.