The close of the transfer window is fast-approaching. Rangers have brought in a number of players in the attacking areas including Danilo, Cyriel Dessers, Abdallah Sima and Sam Lammers.
However, Michael Beale seems keen to find someone who has similar attributes to a man he hang his hat on to play as a winger and a no.10 when he was at Ibrox previously working under Steven Gerrard. That man, of course, is Ryan Kent, and whatever we thought of his performances last season, someone with his ball-carrying attributes and ability to beat a man to get the team up the pitch is a massive loss.
Speaking to the media with regard to finding someone who will help aid the team with the ability and attributes Kent brought, Michael Beale told Chris Jack of the Glasgow Times: “The one area we’re probably a little bit light is someone like a Ryan Kent. Whether we’ll get there between now and the end of the window, or do we find that within in our squad? Time will tell.
According to the African Insider Twitter account, Moussa Djenepo – the Southampton winger rejected a move to Ibrox. So it’s clear this is an area Michael Beale has his eye on.
🚨 🇲🇱🇩🇪 Moussa Djenepo is a "priority" for Bayer Leverkusen.
— African Insider (@African_Insider) August 18, 2023
After rejecting Rangers, the Southampton winger may move to Germany as the Big Pharma club's replacement for Moussa Diaby. pic.twitter.com/bvLc9BDG7b
With that in mind, I will look at four players who could possibly fill the Ryan Kent-shaped hole in the Rangers squad.
Ola Solbakken – Roma
First up is the 24-year-old Norwegian winger; Solbakken rose to prominence for his performances for Bodo/Glimt in the 21/22 season. He was a massive part of Bodo getting to the quarter-final of the Uefa Conference League, beating Roma twice in the group stages, and disposing of Celtic in the knockout rounds.
He’s yet to feature for Roma as of yet this season and has come under some criticism from Jose Mourinho in the past.
Solbakken is the type of player who could play wider or in one of the inverted 10 positions that Beale likes so much. He is always willing to take players on and has the two-footedness and the pace to become a nightmare for defenders. He also is more of a goalscorer than Kent and better in the air.
He’s lost his way at Roma and he’s expected to leave before the window shuts. He fits the bill of a Beale-type signing and he’s one that would fit into this Rangers team pretty well.
Luis Palma – Aris
Up next is the rumour of the summer that will not go away: Aris’ Honduran attacker Luis Palma. He doesn’t have the pace of Kent, but he knows how to find the net. The 24-year-old can play all across the frontline as well as the 10 position.
He’s been linked with a few clubs over the summer, and now he’s been linked with a move to Celtic.
So far this season he’s registered one assist from one game in the Greek Super League. Last season he made 36 appearances in all competitions registering 13 goals and eight assists.
No one knows if the Rangers interest is real but he can add the numbers that were lost from Sakala and Tillman even if he doesn’t possess the pace that this Rangers team are crying out for.
Parfait Guiagon – Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Another player who was loosely linked in the summer and known to chief scout, John Park due to his previous involvements in signing players during his time at Celtic from the agency that represents Guiagon.
The young Ivorian plays for Maccabi-Tel Aviv and he has all the attributes that Rangers would be looking for to replace Kent. He’s willing to take players on, he can beat them and he’s very good in one-vs-ones. He mostly plays on the left wing but can operate as a 10, that will tick the Beale box – much like Solbakken. So far this season he has one goal in three appearances in the Conference League, coming against Petrocub.
Last season he only started 18 times in the Israeli league and just made one start in four in the Conference League.
So he maybe a project player to pick up but perhaps not a guy who could come in and go into the starting XI immediately.
Luis Sinisterra – Leeds United
Sinisterra is on his way out of Leeds United and would be a superb signing for Rangers, but he’s been linked to Brentford. The Colombian has blistering pace, has the ability to take players on leaving them for dead and is a very good finisher. He would be one that Rangers should ask Leeds about during conversations over Glen Kamara.
He’s well-known to the coaching staff as he’s played against Rangers and scored for Feyenoord in the 2-2 match in Rotterdam in the Europa League groups.
This one is probably pie in the sky in terms of suggestions but he would really thrive and get fans on the edge of their seats.
He missed a big chunk of last season with an ankle injury, but playing on the left wing, right wing and in the 10 position during his appearances, he registered eight goal involvements in 22 appearances in all competitions.