Why Rangers should reignite their interest in Kemar Roofe in January

Back in August, during the summer transfer window, a report from The Scottish Sun (h/t Yorkshire Evening Post) claimed that Rangers had been interested in securing the services of striker Kemar Roofe when he was allowed to leave Leeds United.

However, the 26-year-old Walsall-born hitman opted against a move north of the border from West Yorkshire and instead headed to join Vincent Kompany’s Anderlecht in the Belgian Pro League.

Rangers eventually went on to sign as many as eleven new players in the summer, with Ryan Kent returning to Ibrox from Liverpool on a permanent transfer, while the likes of Filip Helander, Joe Aribo, Jake Hastie, Jordan Jones, Greg Stewart and several others also came through the door as a part of the club’s spending spree.

Steven Gerrard should be reasonably happy with how things have panned out for his side so far, with Rangers matching arch-rivals Celtic move for move in the domestic title race.

The Gers also find themselves on the brink of qualification to the knockout rounds of the UEFA Europa League, with a 2-0 victory over Porto at Ibrox on Matchday 4 well and truly underlining their rich vein of form.

However, according to a report from the Daily Record, Steven Gerrard will be looking to add more to his squad when the transfer window reopens in January, despite having spent a fortune in the summer.

As per the report, the Gers had scouts in attendance during Anderlecht’s 2-1 victory over Zulte Waregem at the weekend and while it is unclear as to who they were keeping an eye on, Kemar Roofe’s impressive display would definitely have caught their eye. 

The 26-year-old set up former Tottenham winger and Belgian international Nacer Chadli for an early opener before netting a late winner to secure all three points for Vincent Kompany’s side, who climbed up to 10th in the standings with that victory.

Despite Gerrard insisting that Morelos is not for sale during the mid-season trading period, Rangers should be wise enough to draw up a list of alternatives if the worst comes to worst and the Colombian parts ways with the Ibrox giants. (h/t Daily Record)

Jermain Defoe has been in good form but he is not a regular starter at the age of 37. With Kyle Lafferty no longer in the frame, the Gers could find themselves in a massive hole if Morelos completes a move away in January or next summer. 

To put things into perspective, the report doesn’t clearly mention whether Rangers are looking to reignite their interest in Kemar Roofe but it wouldn’t be a surprise if they were already thinking about going back in the market for his services.

An injury-hit start to the season meant that Roofe had to wait until late September to make his debut for Anderlecht but if his performances in recent weeks are anything to go by, the former Leeds United star has been quite unstoppable.

The 26-year-old has accumulated 5 goals and 2 assists in 7 league appearances for the Belgian giants and he looks good for a lot more.  

Roofe, though not an out-and-out centre-forward, had illustrated his versatility to play in multiple positions across the forward line during his stint at Elland Road, shouldering the majority of the club’s goalscoring burden.

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Verdict

He netted 15 times in an injury-stricken campaign in the EFL Championship last term and to that end, finding the net on a consistent basis in the Scottish top-flight shouldn’t be a massive challenge for him.

All in all, Rangers going back in the market for Kemar Roofe in January could add another dimension to their attack and possibly have a positive impact on their European campaign.