OPINION
What a January transfer window Rangers are having this year at Ibrox – and it does not appear that their business is over just yet.
With Jermaine Defoe and Steven Davis already through the door and Jordan Jones and Glen Kamara waiting to join in summer after penning pre-contract agreements, manager Steven Gerrard has wasted no time in making sure he prepared not just for the rest of the season but into the next campaign.
The new arrivals can have a mixed effect on the current squad at Ibrox, both boosting the belief that this year can be something special but also putting plenty of pressure on those already fighting for a first team spot.
One man who has been on the fringes of the senior side this term has been Glenn Middleton, the 19-year-old with just eight starts in his 25 appearances and five goals and five assists to his name.
He has been a mighty impressive young talent and is quite evidently viewed as one for the future by Gerrard, which is why Jones’ arrival from Kilmarnock in the summer will have him sweating under the collar a little bit, especially with Jamie Murphy also set to return after his season-long injury layoff.
The competition is building but it would appear as though he can remain confident of game time until the summer – but that will not be the case if Jones were to arrive this month, as speculated by BT Sport’s Darrell Currie on his personal Twitter account, insisting there was a “good chance” of it happening.
A good chance John
— Darrell Currie (@darrellcurrietv) January 11, 2019
I hear business could be done . So have a hunch
— Darrell Currie (@darrellcurrietv) January 11, 2019
Middleton should be absolutely fuming with Gerrard if he shows such a lack of faith in the young gun that he needs to bring in reinforcements, for he has done absolutely nothing to warrant a new signing at Ibrox.
Middleton looks a top talent already and he is only going to stagnate if he does not play – and a loan move away would be a real insult to someone who has played their role as an impact substitute this season.
Gerrard needs to weigh up whether Jones is going to do enough to warrant kicking Middleton further down the pecking order this month – for the youngster should be furious if his game time is sacrificed in a desperate roll of the dice.