Rangers look set to miss out on a transfer target for a major problem area within Russell Martin’s side.
The Ibrox club were heavy linked with a move for Arsenal goalkeeper Karl Jakob Hein earlier this month, but the Estonian international looks set to agree a move abroad.
Hein broke into the first team of Nomme United, a club in his Eastern European homeland at just 16, earning a move to English Premier League giants Arsenal.
He has went on to appear just once for the Gunners, spending time on loan at Reading and Real Vallidoid in La Liga, and is noted as being very competent and composed with his feet, a major quality needed for a goalkeeper in Russell Martin’s set up.
But the stopper now looks set to join German Bundesliga side Werder Bremen on a permanent basis.
Rangers had been linked with a loan move but this seemed to cool with Jack Butland’s return to form in the early matches of the Martin era, as well as the Ibrox club focusing on outfield targets.
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However, with Butland’s error against Club Brugge in Tuesday evening's 3-1 defeat in the first leg of the side’s UEFA Champions League playoff round tie, it may be one Rangers will wish they had gone for.
Butland was at fault for the first goal, uncomfortable with emerging too far from his area the former England international hesitated after starting to come out, his defenders backed off and Brugge’s Romeo Vermant chipped the ball unchallenged past Butland into the net.
A confidence player who seems to have streaky form, an uncomfortable and uncommon trait for a goalkeeper, this could see Butland spiral back into the poor form of last season, which seen him dropped for understudy Liam Kelly by then-interim manager Barry Ferguson towards the end of the campaign.
Rangers now face a dilemma between sticking with Butland, who has the quality but also the inconsistency, or seeking reinforcements in the remainder of the window.
While Martin has expressed faith in his squad, the domestic and European aspirations of the club could hinge on having a goalkeeper capable of delivering reliability on the biggest nights, one comfortable in the style of play.
Hein’s move to Werder Bremen, should it be confirmed, underscores the increasing difficulty Rangers face in attracting young, technically adept talent from the top European leagues.
For Martin, whose system demands a goalkeeper confident in possession and able to act as a sweeper when required, this could leave a significant void.
For now, the Ibrox hierarchy may have no choice but to back Butland and hope he can rediscover the form that earned him international recognition, while also keeping an eye out for potential alternatives in the mid-season transfer window.
One thing is clear: with the Champions League qualifiers already proving challenging, Rangers cannot afford another dip in goalkeeper form if they are to compete on all fronts this season.