Why Rangers should take a punt on Adrian Akande
According to a report by The Daily Post (h/t The Scotsman), Rangers have taken Adrian Akande on trial. The youngster was previously linked with joining arch-rivals Celtic but clearly, nothing materialized.
Profiled as a left-winger, the Nigerian starlet embarked on his footballing career with Crystal Palace’s youth reserves in July 2016. However, back in July of this year, he joined Chelsea’s youth ranks and is currently without a club.
With the ability to play on the right side of the attack as well, Akande certainly seems like a promising future prospect. At just 16 years of age, he is far from being a player who will come in and make an immediate impact for the Ibrox-based outfit.
That said, considering how Steven Gerrard has changed the complexion of the club, signing a player like Chelsea would be a smart long-term investment as far as squad depth is concerned.
The former Liverpool boss has played a key role in developing and shaping several young players at the club and there is no reason why he cannot do the same for Akande – provided the trial goes well and he ends up joining the Scottish outfit.
With the race to the title heating up with every single game, Gerrard must ensure that Rangers have adequate squad depth in the form of up and coming youngsters – which is exactly what the former Chelsea youth star is.
He scored 30 goals and provided 22 assists in 42 games for Chelsea’s youth team last season, thus proving his credentials as a teenager filled with talent. And the fact that Celtic were chasing his signature does lay emphasis on the fact that he is a prodigious starlet worth a punt at the very least.
With Celtic just ahead in the standings due to a goal difference of one, the Gers must utilize this opportunity to dismantle the order of dominance in Scottish football. And signing a player once linked with the Hoops would just be the cherry on top.
