OPINION
Rangers must sign Everton forward Fraser Hornby in the January transfer window after it became apparent that Umar Sadiq is nowhere near good enough for Steven Gerrard’s first team.
Sadiq had a nightmare of a performance against Aberdeen on Sunday when he earned his first start for the club, so Gerrard needs to tear up the Roma forward’s loan deal in the winter and snap up Hornby as a replacement.
The 19-year-old has already confirmed to Capital City Press that he would be willing to leave Everton on loan if he fails to earn any minutes in the senior side between now and January and given the fact that he hasn’t even made a matchday squad for Marco Silva, it is likely that he will be allowed to find a temporary move away from Goodison Park.
Hornby would pretty much be a like-for-like replacement for Sadiq, except he is way more prolific in front of goal and does not look like Bambi on ice whenever he plays.
A scouting report by the Daily Mail found that the Scotland Under-21 international is someone who can drop deeper to collect the ball while using his physical attributes to “good effect”.
Standing at 6ft 3in tall (Toffee Web), the forward could be the answer to Gerrard’s woes up front when Alfredo Morelos cannot play.
The Colombian is known for his discipline issues but whenever Kyle Lafferty or Sadiq has played instead of him, they have failed to deliver, but Hornby is someone who will be hungry to make a name for himself in the Scottish Premiership, even if it would be working for Liverpool legend Gerrard while being a young Evertonian.
Ibrox will roar if Gerrard got a loan deal for the young forward sorted out in January, mainly because it would mean that Sadiq could be on the first flight to Rome on January 1, but also because they would be getting themselves a massive improvement with someone who has shown his worth in Scotland’s youth set-up.