OPINION
Rangers are reportedly closing in on signing centre-back George Edmundson from Oldham, in what could be a masterstroke of a move by director of football Mark Allen.
According to the Scottish Sun, Rangers have stolen a march on Stoke, Hull, Preston and Sunderland in the race to sign the 21-year-old defender, who was at Auchenhowie last week for talks and a tour of the Hummel Training Centre.
It is understood that the English defender is valued at £450,000 by League Two side Oldham and that could be a real bargain deal for the Light Blues if Allen is able to land a deal in the upcoming transfer window.
Edmundson is young and has great potential, and just because he has been playing in the fourth-tier of English football, that does not mean that is someone who can move to Ibrox and have an impact on the first team squad.
Nikola Katic and Connor Goldson are likely to be the only two senior centre-backs left in Govan after the season ends with Gareth McAuley approaching the end of his contract and Joe Worrall’s loan spell from Nottingham Forest expiring.
Edmundson will no doubt become the third-choice centre-back if he is snapped up and due to his potential and impressive form at Boundary Park this term, he could even put pressure on Katic or Goldson for their spot in Steven Gerrard’s starting line-up.
Allen has had quite a mixed bag of results from his signings as Rangers’ director of football but there has to be no doubt about Edmundson when he seems to be up for grabs for a very cheap fee.
The Gers’ transfer chief has already been busying by agreeing pre-contract deals to sign Jordan Jones, Steven Davis and Jake Hastie on a permanent basis in the summer and it seems as though Edmundson could be added to that list to become yet another early signing by the Glasgow giants.