Glasgow Rangers suffered another pre-season defeat over the weekend, losing 2-0 at Murrayfield.
While pre-season results aren’t exactly important, the fact that several players who looked like they could depart Ibrox this summer managed to find a place in the Rangers starting XI was rather worrying.
Philippe Clement desperately needs to sign another few players ahead of the Gers' Premiership opener against Hearts. Could he be set to raid the Championship in the coming days?
Rangers eye move for Championship winger
According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, Rangers are “readying a new move” to sign Morgan Whittaker from Plymouth Argyle this summer.
In January 2023, Michael Beale had an offer rejected by Swansea City, then his parent club, for the English winger, but it now looks as though interest has been reignited.
The Light Blues are screaming out for some quality on the flanks and there is no doubt that Whittaker – who has an asking price of £15m – would give Clement something extra out wide.
It wouldn’t be the first time the club have signed someone from the Championship. Could they repeat their Todd Cantwell masterclass?
Why Morgan Whittaker could be Todd Cantwell 2.0
Beale may have endured a torrid ten-month spell in the Ibrox hot seat, but he did make a few decent signings, Cantwell among them.
Since arriving in Scotland 18 months ago, the former Norwich City gem has made 64 appearances for the club, scoring 14 goals and grabbing 12 assists in the process.
When fit and firing, the former Norwich man is a wonderful option to have, yet he was inconsistent at times during the 2023/24 campaign due to occasionally playing out wide on the right in an unfamiliar position.
Whittaker could offer something that the club struggled with last term – goals from the wide areas.
Last season for Plymouth, Whittaker scored a remarkable 20 times for the club in all competitions. Add in a further nine assists, and it is clear he poses a dangerous threat on the right flank.
Goals
2
3
19
Assists
0
4
8
Big chances created
1
3
10
Key passes per game
0.6
1.4
1.4
Successful dribbles per game
0.4
0.9
1.2
Shots per game
1.1
1
3.6
Total duels won per game
1.9
2.4
3.8
Goal conversion rate
8%
10%
11%
When compared to his positional peers in leagues similar to the English Championship, the spritely winger ranked in the top 7% for non-penalty goals (0.43) and the top 2% for total shots (3.78) per 90, more evidence of how effective he is in the final third.
Former Plymouth manager Steven Schumacher hailed the youngster upon signing a permanent deal with the Pilgrims last summer, claiming he was “one of the most exciting prospects in the EFL” and, given how impressive a season the winger went on to have, this was certainly backed up.
Taking out Abdallah Sima’s goal tally of 16 from last term, the highest-scoring winger was Rabbi Matondo with six goals. This clearly isn’t good enough heading into the new season.
Whittaker has proven that he has what it takes to make an impression in the English second tier. A move to Ibrox from the EFL – like Cantwell – wouldn’t faze him in the slightest and the chance to perform at a higher level could see him take his game to the next level.
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