This week, Alan Hutton insisted that Greg Docherty should carefully consider his future during the January transfer market (Football Insider). The Scottish midfielder joined Rangers in January 2018 in what the former Ger described as ‘a big move to Rangers’ but hasn’t been able to find a consistent string of games under Steven Gerrard. Hutton insists that the midfielder must look for either a loan or permanent move away.
But Rangers should try it and keep a hold of the player if they can. Assuming they continue to progress in cup competitions like the UEFA Europa League, they are going to want extra bodies in the squad. Not only do they want numbers, but they will want talent as well. A player like Docherty could begin to see much more game time as the season progresses.
Granted, the midfielder may not be willing to stay and sit on the bench only to be played against weaker opposition. But with Rangers having the 23-year old tie-down on a contract until 2022, they may have the ability to keep him at the club regardless (transfermarkt.co.uk). Of course, a loan move would keep him on the books while giving him game time.
The best-case scenario for the club would be for Docherty to stay with the first-team for the second half of the 2019/2020 season. The second-best scenario would be to allow him to leave on a loan. But Rangers must avoid letting him leave on a permanent transfer at all costs.
Despite having a seriously talented midfield right now, Steven Davis is 34 years of age. He is also on loan from Southampton (transfermarkt.co.uk). His impact on the team has been impressive, but he is not an option for the long-term future. Docherty could be a replacement for Davis in the not-so-distant future. If he is able to exercise a little bit of patience, and Rangers can convince him that he is in their plans, perhaps he will stay?