Why Rangers should send Glenn Middleton out on loan this summer
According to BBC, Rangers winger Glenn Middleton is close to completing a loan move before the transfer deadline this summer, with the report claiming that Gers boss Steven Gerrard is keen to send him to another club to allow him to develop further.
Hibernian manager Paul Heckingbottom has revealed that the Edinburgh outfit are keen to secure the services of the 19-year-old winger on loan, although Gerrard stated a few days back that the youngster was close to joining Dutch second-tier outfit NAC Breda on a season-long loan deal. (h/t BBC)
Middleton contributed with 3 goals and 5 assists in 29 appearances for Rangers in what was an impressive breakthrough season for the teenager last term but the arrival of Sheyi Ojo, Jake Hastie and Jordan Jones as new options down the wide areas has pushed him down the pecking order at Ibrox.
Apparently aware of the fact that a lack of regular minutes in Glasgow is going to have a negative impact on Middleton’s growth and development, Gerrard looks determined to ship him out on loan to the Dutch second-tier for the upcoming campaign.
The 19-year-old, who made his competitive debut under Gerrard last season and signed a new long-term deal with the Gers in October, showed in his debut campaign that he has got the raw talent and the potential to have a big impact in the years to come. However, a loan spell away from Ibrox isn’t likely to do him much harm.
Instead, a stint at Breda or at Hibernian is likely to work wonders for his development and the fans have every reason to expect that he would come back next summer as a more complete player.
Middleton is still very much in his formative years as a footballer and a loan spell would allow him to get more exposure under his belt, as well as go a long way towards ironing out the flaws in his game.
Born in Glasgow, Middleton migrated to the south of the border with his family at a young age and rose through the youth ranks of Norwich City, although he never made a senior professional appearance for the Canaries.
Having found first-team opportunities at Carrow Road hard to come by, Middleton reunited with former Norwich youth coach Graeme Murty at Ibrox in January 2018.
A regular for Scotland at all youth levels, Middleton has earned a total of 42 caps for his national from U-16 to U-21 levels, scoring 9 goals in the process. He is yet to earn his senior international debut for Scotland but that shouldn’t be too far away if he continues his rapid rate of development.
Rangers, meanwhile, have already completed as many as eight new signings this summer and Gerrard will be hoping that his team can transform the strong signs of promise that they showed last season into something more meaningful this time around.
Celtic have enjoyed the bragging rights in Scottish football over the past eight seasons and the Gers will be looking to oust their bitter rivals from the throne next term.
Conclusion
Indeed, a loan move away from Rangers looks like a good deal for all parties involved given the number of new arrivals in wide positions this summer.
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However, the Gers need to make sure that Middleton remains a part of the first-team setup wherever he goes out on loan because warming the benches at another club isn’t going to do his development any good.