Why Rangers signing Lyle Taylor in the summer would be a good move
According to report from the Daily Star, Rangers are set to up their efforts to land Charlton Athletic striker Lyle Taylor in the summer transfer window, with his contract with the Addicks up for expiry.
Taylor, 30, started out at Staines Town before moving to the Millwall youth setup. He joined Concorde Rangers in 2009, without making a senior appearance for Millwall and signed for Bournemouth a year later. During his time with the Cherries, he had loan spells away at Lewes, Hereford United and Woking FC.
In 2012, Taylor joined Falkirk. He scored 29 goals in 42 games for the Scottish club, prompting Sheffield United to sign him in 2013. He lasted six months with the Blades before joining Partick Thistle on loan in January 2014. Six months later, he signed for Scunthorpe United and had another loan stint at Partick in 2015, before joining AFC Wimbledon in the subsequent summer.
In three years at the club, he made 155 appearances, bagging 55 goals and 21 assists. Taylor signed for Charlton in the summer of 2018. Till date, he has featured 67 times for the Addicks, scoring 67 goals in the process.
Rangers need new faces in the attack
Rangers, meanwhile, fell short of Celtic once again in the race for the Scottish Premiership title. If they are to stop their arch-rivals from a historic 10th consecutive league triumph next season, it is imperative for Steven Gerrard & co. to strengthen their ranks in the summer.
The centre-forward department is one where the Gers must look to bring in reinforcements. At the moment, they just have Alfredo Morelos and Greg Stewart as their strikers. Although, Jermain Defoe will be joining on a permanent basis, having agreed on a one-year deal in January.
Both Morelos and Defoe were impressive during the 2019/20 campaign, but Stewart did not make the best of impacts in his debut season. This had forced Rangers to sign Florian Kamberi on loan in January. But he has returned to Hibernian after his loan deal expired and is being pursued by other clubs.
Given the uncertainty surrounding Morelos’ immediate future at the club and Defoe’s age, the club should recruit another potent goalscorer in the summer. To that end, Charlton’s Taylor would be a viable option. He enjoyed a splendid 2018/19 campaign, banging in 25 goals and 13 assists in 45 matches, helping the Addicks to promotion from League One to the Championship.
The 30-year-old started the 2019/20 season on a similarly prolific note, but injuries have hampered him. Even then, he has accumulated 11 goals and 1 assist in 22 matches.
Taylor is a seasoned campaigner, with close to 400 career appearances so far in which he has scored over 140 goals. This type of experience, coupled with his form over the past couple of seasons, would make him a good fit at Rangers.
Read More
- Why Rangers must make a move for young Rayhaan Tulloch
- Opinion: Why Rangers must act to secure the signing of Renato Tapia soon
- Why Rangers should re-sign Sheyi Ojo on loan for next season
Verdict
While Rangers will have Jermain Defoe back on a permanent deal, given his age, it would bode well for them to add another goalscorer to their ranks. Lyle Taylor, to that end, would be a wise choice. Available on a free transfer, he has been in good form over the past couple of seasons. He would add more depth and quality to the Gers attack.
