Glasgow Rangers have sent scouts to watch Joel Piroe ahead of a potential move to the Scottish Premiership, according to reports.
The Lowdown: Alongside Whittaker?
The Light Blues are believed to still be in contact with Swansea City regarding a summer deal for Morgan Whittaker having failed to land him in January and it appears that he isn’t the only player Michael Beale is targeting.
The Dutchman has now entered the final 18 months of his contract in Wales, and being Russell Martin’s top-performing offensive player, has caught the eye of the hierarchy at Ibrox.
The Championship outfit are having the kind of season where they aren’t in any real danger but neither are they going to achieve anything so the striker could be tempted to look elsewhere should he want to progress his career further.
The Latest: Rangers scout Piroe
According to Football League World, Rangers (and by extension sporting director Ross Wilson) have been ‘scouting’ Piroe in ‘recent weeks’ and would offer a ‘different type of opportunity’ should he decide to make the move north of the border.
Burnley, Middlesbrough and Norwich City are also ‘keeping tabs’ on the 23-year-old, whilst Crystal Palace and Everton both ‘explored’ a deal in January, though nothing ever came to fruition.
Sources believe that Swansea are ‘at risk’ of losing their standout performer as a result of failing to properly get themselves going under Martin, so this could be one to watch in the months ahead.
The Verdict: Get it done…
Piroe has been dubbed a ‘danger man’ by journalist Josh Bunting and Rangers need to act fast should they want to secure his services ahead of their fellow competitors.
The Wijchen native has clocked up 13 goals and provided one assist in 34 Championship appearances so far this season where he’s currently averaging 3.2 shots per 90 minutes.
The 6 foot 1 star also ranks in the 95th percentile for pass completion, showing his excellent ability to link up well with his teammates, and the 91st percentile for most progressive passes (FBRef).
Despite naturally being a centre-forward, the left-footed ace has played in five different positions since the start of his career and is comfortable operating anywhere across the frontline.
The Teddy Bears have to head into the summer window on a mission to recruit players that will be able to have a significant impact on the side and get them competing with Celtic again and Piroe is certainly the perfect candidate to come in and do just the job.