Glasgow Rangers have five remaining matches left to turn their season around and secure the Scottish Premiership title at Ibrox ahead of their rivals.
The Light Blues are currently three points off the top of the table and the Glasgow-based outfit still have a trip to the team top of the division to come in their last five games.
Philippe Clement's side have slipped up over the last three league games, with two draws and one defeat, and could point to a lack of a goal threat in their most recent 0-0 draw with Dundee.
Rangers have scored 72 goals in the Premiership so far this season, which is eight fewer than Celtic, and this could result in the Belgian boss and Head of Recruitment Nils Koppen looking to dip into the market to add more firepower to the attack later this year.
The upcoming summer transfer window will provide the Gers pair with an opportunity to bring in fresh talent, and they have already been linked with an impressive attack-minded midfielder.
Rangers interested in £13m maestro
It was recently reported that Rangers are one of the teams interested in a summer swoop to sign Krasnodar's mercurial playmaker Eduard Spertsyan.
HITC's Graeme Bailey claimed that the Light Blues have been made aware of his potential availability ahead of the summer transfer window, and they are tracking his progress.
Rivals Celtic were also said to be keen on the Armenia international and could, therefore, provide Clement's side with competition for his services.
However, the biggest stumbling block on the track is that HITC reported that a move to the Netherlands, or somewhere else in mainland Europe, is more likely for Spertsyan at this moment in time.
It was stated that Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord are all eyeing up the talented attacking midfielder, and they seemingly have the edge over Rangers and Celtic in the race for his signature.
Earlier this season, the player himself claimed that the president of Krasnodar values him at €15m (£13m), although it remains to be seen whether or not that is the exact current valuation over his head.
It also remains to be seen whether or not Rangers or Celtic are prepared to go as high as £13m to secure his services this summer, particularly as they will also have to battle it out with several Dutch clubs, which could drive the price up further if an auction is created for his signature.
If the Gers can get a deal over the line for the Premier Liga star, though, then Clement could land a massive upgrade on current attacking midfielder Tom Lawrence.
Tom Lawrence's struggles at Rangers
Signed on a free transfer from Derby County in the summer of 2022, the Welsh attacker has struggled to provide consistency, in terms of both his availability and his performance levels when fit.
Since the start of last season, the 30-year-old whiz has missed a staggering 56 competitive matches for club and country, with an Achilles and a muscle injury.
Meanwhile, Lawrence has only made 38 appearances for Rangers in all competitions during that period, which shows that the former Championship star has been absent for more games than he has played.
Appearances
20
Goals
1
Assists
3
Big chances created
4
Dribbles completed per game
0.6
As you can see in the table above, the experienced midfielder has not provided consistent quality at the top end of the pitch as a number ten for Clement, with one goal contribution every five games on average.
He had scored 11 and ten goals respectively in his last two Championship seasons for Derby before his move to Rangers, yet has only managed three goals in 25 league matches for the Gers since the start of last term.
These statistics show that Lawrence has not been an impressive performer for the Scottish giants, with his injury issues seemingly taking a toll on his displays, and that is why Clement should now look to land an upgrade on him this summer.
At the age of 30, there may not be much development left in the Wales international and signing a younger, better, alternative could be the way to go for the Light Blues ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Why Rangers should sign Eduard Spertsyan
The Ibrox side must swoop to sign the Krasnodar star, if a deal is financially viable, as he has the quality to be a massive upgrade on Lawrence in a number eight or ten position.
Spertsyan, who Ajax director Sven Mislintat lauded as "special" last year, has the ability to score and create goals on a regular basis when at his best, after an incredible 2022/23 campaign for the Russian side.
Last season, the 23-year-old gem racked up ten goals, 11 assists, and eight 'big chances' created in 28 league games in the Premier Liga, which speaks to the impact he can make in the final third.
Appearances
23
20
Goals
9
1
Assists
2
3
Big chances created
2
4
Dribbles completed per game
1.0
0.6
As you can see in the table above, the Armenian star has also been directly involved in seven more league goals for his team in only three more appearances.
Since the start of last season, the £13m-rated ace has scored or assisted 32 goals in 51 league matches for Krasnodar, which is a goal contribution every 1.52 games on average.
Lawrence, meanwhile, has been directly involved in eight goals (three goals, five assists) in 25 Premiership outings for Rangers, which is one every 3.12 clashes on average.
These statistics suggest that the Gers target has the potential to be a massive upgrade on the Welshman in the middle of the park, as he could score and create goals far more frequently.
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The Armenia international has also only missed four games through injury since the start of the 2021/22 campaign, which also suggests that he would be a significant upgrade from an availability perspective, as the young star rarely misses matches.
This means that Spertsyan could be far more reliable over the course of a season, due to his durability, whilst also offering more quality on the pitch than Lawrence when fit.
Therefore, Clement and Koppen must now work hard to swoop in for the Krasnodar star and win the race for his signature ahead of Celtic and the Dutch sides over the months to come.
