Rangers must axe Jack Simpson with deal for centre-back | OneFootball

Rangers chief Ross Wilson was busy throughout the January window as he added a number of players to Gio van Bronckhorst’s squad.

The Ibrox supremo secured deals for Aaron Ramsey, Mateusz Zukowski, Amad Diallo and James Sands to bolster the team this season, whilst he also sealed a pre-contract agreement to sign John Souttar on a free transfer in the summer.

It was recently revealed, however, that he attempted to land Souttar’s teammate at the same time. The club reportedly wanted to strike a deal for Stephen Kingsley, who ended up signing a fresh contract with Hearts before the end of the month.

Should Rangers sign Stephen Kingsley?

Rangers must not allow that to put them off a swoop for the ex-Swansea man, though, as he would be a fantastic signing for the club. His arrival would also allow van Bronckhorst to brutally axe Ibrox “weak link” Jack Simpson, who is reportedly keen on an exit.

The current Gers dud is wanted by English side Birmingham and he must be sold in the summer as he has struggled to make an impact in Glasgow. He has only played three times in the league this term and none of those came under van Bronckhorst, which is why he needs to be moved on as quickly as possible.

Hearts boss Robbie Neilson heaped praise on Kingsley in January and placed him among the best in the Premiership, saying: “He’s gone from strength to strength since he arrived here and he’s undoubtedly one of the country’s top defenders.

“It’s a big boost for us and everyone here is delighted to get it sorted.”

Sporting director Joe Savage added: “Stephen’s made such a big impact since joining the club and he’s a really popular figure behind the scenes.

“His quality on the pitch is there for all to see and I’m sure the fans will be as happy as we are to get this deal completed.”

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Interestingly, Bhoys Analytics posted a graphic to illustrate the difference in passing quality and defensive actions amongst Premiership centre-backs and Kingsley came out on top, by some way, in both areas.

This suggests that Neilson was right to call the defender one of the best in the division as the statistics show that he has been a standout this season defensively and on the ball.

Therefore, Wilson must reignite his interest in the Scotland international and attempt to sign him for Rangers in the summer. Bringing him in would then allow Simpson to be sent on his merry way without any concerns about his exit impacting squad depth heading into the 2022/23 campaign.