Why Gerrard should raid Liverpool to sign their out of favour 25-year-old youngster this summer

According to a report by Daily Record, Rangers boss Steven Gerrard is interested in signing Liverpool’s Jon Flanagan this summer.

Since his appointment as the new Rangers manager, Gerrard has been a busy man. And that is understandable, given the mammoth task ahead of him. Over the last few years, their Old Firm rivals Celtic have been the dominant force in Scotland and Gerrard must strive to end their dominance in the upcoming season.

However, Rangers require strengthening in several areas and it looks like the former Liverpool captain is keen to bolster the defence. But is Flanagan the right choice to do so? Interestingly enough, Gerrard will be aware of the 25-year-old’s strengths and weaknesses as they played together at Liverpool.

Flanagan failed to establish himself for the Merseyside outfit, who sent him out on loan to Burnley last summer before Bolton Wanderers signed him on loan in January.

A right-back by trade, Flanagan could prove to be a questionable buy for Rangers. One on hand, he would provide competition for James Tavernier but on the other, is he reliable enough? To be fair, Gerrard could also utilise him as a utility man since he can also play as a left-back.

But the Gers manager already has a number of options at his disposal for the left-back role – the likes of Lee Wallace, Myles Beerman and Andy Halliday can play that role, with Declan John being the first- choice.

However, there is one reason to believe that the move could prove to be beneficial for Rangers. Lee Hodson, who usually plays as Tavernier’s deputy, failed to impress much for the Scottish outfit last season.

To that end, Flanagan could be a better option for Rangers. After all, the player’s career appears to have stagnated to a certain extent. At his age, no player would be satisfied with serving loan spells, and joining the Scottish giants will give him a brilliant chance to revive his career.

Furthermore, the opportunity to work with Gerrard should tempt the Englishman to consider a switch north of the border. While it does seem like an unorthodox move, it could work out to be a win-win situation for all parties involved.

Flanagan needs a fresh start to reignite his career, while Rangers require added depth to their defence to mount a serious title challenge next season. But it still remains to be seen if Flanagan makes his switch to Ibrox in the summer.