Rangers were heavily linked with signing a young English striker earlier in the transfer window, and he could be the man to replace Fashion Sakala if the Zambian departs Ibrox this summer.

It was reported late last month that the Gers were interested in signing Cameron Archer on loan after an impressive loan spell last season, although Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard would be assessing him in pre-season before making a decision on his future.

Last season saw the the 20-year-old hit seven goals in just 20 Championship appearances for Preston, after netting four goals in two Carabao Cup appearances for the Villans earlier in the season.

Preston manager Ryan Lowe was full of praise for the young forward last season, saying: "Cameron has got an abundance of talent.

“It is getting him in the right places, I don’t want him coming short all the time, I want him to be on the shoulder, sniffing around, being proactive, not reactive.
“His quality levels are fantastic, he’s bullish, strong, he can roll, he has got that little burst of pace too."

He has also been on fire for England under-21s during the summer, so it is no surprise that Rangers have been linked with him as Giovanni van Bronckhorst looks to improve upon his attacking options at Ibrox.

If he were to join Rangers on loan for next season, then there would be little room for Sakala, who has been heavily linked with a move away despite a decent first season at Ibrox.

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Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo are just two of the clubs to have been credited with an interest in the Zambian forward in recent weeks, and while he has reaffirmed his desire to stay at Ibrox, the arrival of another striker after Antonio Colak could see him change his mind.

Sakala contributed 12 goals and seven assists in his debut campaign at Rangers but was disappointing in the bigger games, failing to contribute a single goal or assist in the Europa League run.

Therefore, the signing of a top prospect such as Archer would arguably be an upgrade to Van Bronckhorst's side, and Rangers should definitely consider signing the Aston Villa gem this summer, even if it means Sakala leaving.

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