Rangers Opinion: Gers should avoid signing Steven Davis permanently
According to the Daily Star, Rangers are interested in signing Southampton loanee Steven Davis permanently in the summer, with manager Steven Gerrard reportedly keen to keep the 34-year-old Northern Irishman beyond the end of the current season.
Davis, who joined Southampton after making over 200 appearances for the Gers from 2008 to 2012, rejoined his former club on a six-month loan deal back in January. The veteran has featured regularly for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership since his arrival in January and has made a total of 14 appearances in all competitions, though he has picked up only a single assist so far.
The former Fulham and Aston Villa man fell out of favour at St.Mary’s earlier in the season under Mark Hughes and was shipped out on loan by current manager Ralph Hasenhuttl. With the Austrian boss favouring the exuberance of youth in his first-team, it seems highly unlikely that Davis has a future at Southampton.
Well, he is out of contract in the summer and Rangers would not have to pay a single penny to sign him up permanently. Gerrard has been impressed by Davis’ performances and the Liverpool legend has suggested that the 34-year-old still has a lot to offer at the highest level (h/t Daily Star).
Davis was a raging success at Ibrox earlier in his career when he joined from Fulham and represented the Gers in the Champions League and Europa League, establishing himself as a firm fan favourite. Hence, it is quite clear that Davis knows what it takes to be a successful player at Rangers.
However, his performances in the current season haven’t been all that impressive. Davis is not quite the tenacious and energetic central midfielder that he was in his earlier days and age has certainly taken its toll on his game. The 34-year-old isn’t as productive as he was back in his prime years and his tally of goals and assists has also decreased drastically.
Agreed, an experienced player like him would be a calming and a positive influence on the youngsters both on the pitch and in the dressing room. But he is not the sort of player that Gerrard should be looking at if Rangers are to get the better of Celtic in the title race next season. In fact, the manager should not hesitate to dip into the transfer market to bring in some exciting young talent from across the border.
Given that Davis enjoys a legendary status at Rangers and is a firm fan favourite, there is certainly an emotional side to this deal. The club hierarchy might be tempted to sign him up permanently but he can hardly be a long-term solution.
Given that Lassana Coulibaly is set to return to Angers at the end of his loan spell and Scott Arfield has attracted interest from Southampton (h/t Mirror), Rangers need a first-team quality central midfielder and 34-year-old Davis cannot be relied upon to deliver the goods week in and week out.
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Rangers are going to fall well short of Celtic in the title race this season and they should look to bolster their ranks with some fresh blood in the summer to give themselves a better chance of competing for domestic glory. It’s harsh but Davis no longer fits the bill at Ibrox.
