An update has emerged on winger Albert Gudmundsson, regarding interest from Glasgow giants Rangers in bringing him to Ibrox.

What's the talk?

According to The Telegraph, the Gers are eyeing up a pre-contract swoop for the forward, whose deal at AZ Alkmaar expires at the end of the season.

The report claims that Celtic are also interested in signing him and the two Old Firm clubs are set to battle it out for his signature on a free transfer next month.

Bye-bye Kent

Giovanni van Bronckhorst could land a dream replacement for Ryan Kent by securing a deal to sign Gudmundsson in January. The former Liverpool man has been touted with both Aston Villa and Leeds ahead of the January window and that leaves the door open to the possibility of him departing from Ibrox in 2022.

This would leave a huge gap in the Rangers XI out wide as the forward has been a key figure for the club in recent years, with his ability to score and create goals for the club.

Last season, Kent produced ten strikes and nine assists in the Premiership as Rangers won the title, highlighting his influence and quality in the final third as he regularly chipped in with vital contributions. In the current campaign, he has two goals and one assist in 11 matches but his average SofaScore rating of 7.05 suggests that he is still putting in impressive performances on a consistent basis.

Since the start of the 2020/21 season, the Iceland international has produced 11 goals and five assists in the Eredivisie in 37 starts. This is compared to Kent's 12 goals and ten assists in 47 Premiership starts over the same time period, suggesting that there is little between the two players in terms of end product - although it is difficult to make a direct comparison between the quality of Scottish and Dutch football.

Gudmundsson, who has 86 goals for club and country at youth and senior level, has shown that he can handle playing top-level football in the Netherlands and he may want to test his outstanding qualities in a new league. Outlining his best attributes, Max Huiberts said when he first signed for AZ:

"Albert is a creative, technically skilled and fast player who has proven that he can play in different positions in the attack," the director said.

If he can carry over his form from his time at AZ Alkmaar then he could be a dream replacement for Kent and be van Bronckhorst's new wing wizard, all whilst costing absolutely nothing next summer.

This is why the Dutch head coach must ensure that he can beat Celtic to the signing of the 24-year-old, whether that is as part of a pre-contract deal to bring him in for nothing or by offering Alkmaar a cut-price offer to take him off their hands in January.

AND in other news, Gvb heading for his first big disaster at Ibrox, it may be season-defining for Rangers...