An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United transfer target Alex Lowry and Rangers' plans for him...

What's the talk?

According to The Scottish Sun, the Gers are trying to ward off interest from Premier League duo Manchester City and the Magpies as they look to retain their academy prospect.

The report claims that they are set to offer him a 'bumper' new contract to try and tempt him to commit his future to Ibrox, with his current deal due to expire next summer.

However, Lowry is not going to make a decision on his future until the end of the season later this month as he mulls over the next step in his career.

PIF must get it done

PIF must pounce on the Rangers gem to make him their first signing of the summer for Newcastle. They must attempt to convince him this month that a move to St James' Park is the best call he can make out of the options that he has on the table.

Whilst supporters may be excited by the prospect of big-name signings, with the likes of Darwin Nunez and Kalvin Phillips touted with the Magpies, it is also important to focus on the future. Lowry is 18 and a player who would not make an immediate impact on the first-team squad but has the potential to do just that in the future.

He has made four senior appearances for Rangers this season, scoring once and setting up another goal in that time, which shows that Gio van Bronckhorst has put trust in him at such a young age.

The gem has also been lauded for his performances in the youth team. Graeme Murty, his former coach at Ibrox, previously showered the midfielder with praise, saying: “Alex is unlike anyone else at Rangers I would suggest in terms of his technical ability, the range of passing that he sees and executes, his individual ability to go past people and he has a remarkable degree of self-confidence."

These comments, and Lowry's involvement in the first-team, suggest that he boasts the potential to make it at the top, as he has the attributes required to break through at senior level. The apparent interest of Manchester City and Newcastle in him suggests that they believe as such, which is why the Toon must now bring him in to bolster their academy with a view to him improving Howe's first team in the future.

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