Rangers signing this three-time capped Germany midfielder would be an absolute masterstroke

Rangers Opinion: Signing Lewis Holtby for free would be a masterstroke

According to the Daily Record, Rangers have been linked with move for former Tottenham and Fulham midfielder Lewis Holtby, with manager Steven Gerrard keen to add some quality players to his ranks in the summer.

The same report claims that the 28-year-old thrice-capped German international is set to depart Hamburger at the end of the season upon the expiry of his contract and is looking for a new club.

Holtby has been one of the standout performers for Hamburger in the second tier this season, as the club look set to secure promotion back to the Bundesliga after a nightmarish campaign last time around which saw them face the drop.

The 28-year-old has contributed with 4 goals and 5 assists from 24 league appearances to keep his team in the race for promotion.

A youth product of Alemannia Aachen, Holtby rose to prominence at Schalke and impressed on loan at Mainz in his earlier days before making a move to Tottenham in January 2013.

However, he was used sporadically at Spurs and spent time on loan at Fulham before returning to Germany in 2014 with Hamburger. He has been one of the mainstays of Hamburger’s first-team ever since, racking up 15 goals and 18 assists from 134 appearances in all competitions.

To put things into perspective, the fans at Ibrox have every reason to be excited about Rangers’ links with Lewis Holtby. The German international has tonnes of experience of playing in the Bundesliga, whilst his experience of playing in the Champions League and Europa League should also make him an exciting proposition for the Gers.

Rangers need more quality in their ranks to challenge Celtic for the domestic title and make an impression in the Europa League and Holtby certainly fits the bill.

Rangers are currently not short of options in the middle of the park, with Scott Arfield, Graham Dorrans, Ryan Jack and Ross McCrorie all in the ranks at Ibrox.

Lassana Coulibaly, who arrived on loan from Ligue 1 club Angers last summer, made a bright start to life in Scotland but has faded away from the first-team picture since the turn of the year and it is unlikely that the Gers will make his stay permanent.

It would be fair to say that someone like Holtby would be a massive upgrade on the likes of Arfield, Dorrans, McCrorie and Jack in the middle of the park. The German is capable of playing in both central and attacking roles in the midfield but he is at his best when deployed in a box-to-box role.

The 28-year-old is a hardworking, all-action and intelligent central midfielder who excels with his range of passing, ball distribution, and ability to pick out key passes from a deep position in the midfield.

Calm and composed in possession and adept at retaining the ball at his feet, Holtby contributes a lot with his work rate- venturing forward to add impetus to the attack and link up with his teammates, while also tracking back to cut out attacks.

To Read More Rangers News, Click Here:- Latest Rangers News

His quality on the ball, ability to pick out key passes and penchant for scoring crucial goals should help Rangers improve massively. Holtby has all the qualities to be a marquee signing for the Gers and it should be an absolute no-brainer for Gerrard to snap him up for free in the summer.