Earlier this week Barry Ferguson expressed no surprise when news broke of his ex-team’s interest in his nephew. Rangers are reportedly interested in signing 20-year-old midfielder Lewis Ferguson from Aberdeen (The Scottish Sun).
According to Rangers fans, they are quite happy with the prospect of taking on the midfielder as well (HITC). And fans would be wise to sing the young Ferguson’s praises. In his 1714 minutes of football this season, he has done quite well for his club. With Aberdeen being the ‘best of the rest’ sitting third in the Scottish Premiership, Ferguson has helped contribute to his team’s success this season (Sky Sports). But the midfielder has a long way to go before he can become a true asset to Steven Gerrard’s side.
The midfielder has already scored two goals this season and recorded two assists. This exceeds his 1.55 xG (expected goals) and 0.73 xA (expected assists). He has an 82.4% passing accuracy from his 660 passes, however only has a 62.6% passing accuracy out of his 107 passes into the final third. He has made 105 backwards passes, with a 95.2% accuracy.
His passing statistics leave a lot to be desired, assuming Gerrard wants to play quick counter-attacking football. The numbers indicate that Ferguson would be much better suited to a side who want to keep the football and break teams down with possession. And while Rangers average a 60.37% possession this season, many of their goals have come off the counter. Take Alfredo Morelos’ away goal against Porto as an example. As Rangers progress further in the UEFA Europa League, teams will naturally become tougher, meaning Gerrard’s side will likely have less possession.
Ferguson’s goal scoring from the midfield is also okay, with the midfielder scoring two goals already. But of his 38 shots, only 31.6% were on target. Rangers have been very reliant on Morelos and Jermain Defoe for goals this season (38 goals combined), so it would be nice for Gerrard to bring in a midfielder who could contribute in that department.
With all that being said, Ferguson is only 20 years of age. He still has plenty of time to develop and can become a real asset to Rangers in the future. His statistics in the early stages of 2019/2020 don’t paint the full picture of what he could achieve at Ibrox. If Gerrard does manage to bring the midfielder in, it would be a great signing for the club.
(all data and stats from Wyscout.com, accurate at the time of writing)