OPINION
Rangers can pull off another blinding January deal by signing Liverpool rookie Ki-Jana Hoever this month.
The Light Blues have already signed four players in a blizzard of early-January deals led by the headline capture of Jermaine Defoe.
But Rangers would strengthen their defence by sealing a loan swoop for 16-year-old Hoever, who made the football world sit up and take notice of his Liverpool debut in Monday night’s 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Wolves.
Match of the Day pundits Alan Shearer, Paul Ince, Jermaine Jenas and Robbie Keane all drooled over the Dutch youth international after he replaced Dejan Lovren in the early exchanges and delivered a centre-back performance of assurance and remarkable precocity.
One of those also watching on was Steven Gerrard’s right-hand man Michael Beale, who moved with him from the Liverpool academy to Glasgow last summer.
Beale raved about Hoever on his personal Twitter account, hailing the teenager as “a lovely footballer” and a “real talent” who had made an “outstanding debut” after living up to his glowing scouting reports.
https://twitter.com/MichaelBeale/status/1082528775043207168
There’s no doubt Hoever is destined for big things.
He looks like he was born for the big stage, and has the mentality to deal with even the pressure-cooker Ibrox atmosphere.
Hoever would be a shrewd signing for Rangers and provide another quality option in defence.
Rangers have four senior centre-backs, but only Connor Goldson has consistently impressed, while Hoever has the added value of being able to slot in at right-back.
Beale certainly has the ear of Gerrard and his Twitter transfer hint could be the first stage of laying the groundwork for a deal that would be a super-shrewd one for the Scottish title challengers.