Rangers interested in signing out-of-favour 28-year-old Everton ace – A useful move for Gerrard?

Why Rangers should sign Muhamed Besic to bolster their midfield

According to claims from Bosnian outlet Sportske (h/t Daily Record), Rangers have been credited with an interest in out-of-favour Everton midfielder Muhamed Besic, with Steven Gerrard keen to bolster his midfield options.

As per the report, the 28-year-old is not in manager Carlo Ancelotti’s plans moving forward and could be allowed to depart Goodison Park, with his contract set to expire in 2021. 

Profile

Born in Berlin, Germany, to parents of Bosnian descent, Muhamed Besic started his professional career with Hamburger SV. He featured largely for the club’s reserve team while making just three appearances in the Bundesliga. 

Besic shot to prominence with Ferencvaros in the Hungarian top-flight, making 60 appearances over the course two seasons, before completing a move to Everton in the summer of 2014. The defensive midfielder made 31 appearances in all competitions during a promising debut campaign at Goodison Park but has since found himself down the pecking order over the past five seasons.

The 28-year-old spent a season-and-a-half on loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship, making over 50 appearances before joining Sheffield United on loan last summer following the Blades’ promotion to the Premier League. Besic made 13 appearances for Chris Wilder’s side in all competitions last term but he remains a forgotten figure at Everton.

A full international for Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2010, Besic has accumulated 45 senior caps, representing his nation at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Besic would be a quality addition to Rangers’ midfield

Rangers are currently not short of options in the middle of the park, with Steven Davis, Scott Arfield, Ryan Jack, Joe Aribo and Glen Kamara all competing for places. Gerrard, though, has struggled to rotate his squad in recent weeks, with Jack struggling for fitness and Aribo ruled out altogether.

Moreover, the Gers need to start reducing the workload on Davis, who is nearing the twilight of his career at 35. Jack and Kamara have proven themselves to be equally efficient in the holding midfield role in Gerrard’s 4-3-3 system but bringing in a new defensive midfielder would still make a lot of sense in terms of improving squad depth.

Muhamed Besic, to that end, ticks the box as a quality addition to Rangers’ midfield unit. The Bosnian international might have struggled to make a big impact in the Premier League but that has more to do with his lack of game time rather than his lack of ability as a footballer. 

The 28-year-old has done fairly well in the limited opportunities he has been afforded in the English top-flight while also proving his mettle during his loan spell at Middlesbrough in the Championship. 

Read more

• Why Dan Glazer to Rangers would bolster their midfield
• Why Rangers should continue their pursuit of Patrik Hrosovsky

Verdict

Rangers need to ensure that they have all their bases covered as the Ibrox giants bid to end Celtic’s stranglehold on the domestic throne. Add to that the challenge of participating in the Europa League and the domestic cup competitions, making squad rotation a decisive factor later on in the campaign.

The acquisition of Muhamed Besic would, therefore, add a lot of experience, depth, and quality to Rangers’ midfield unit. The Bosnian still has several years remaining in his prime. Considering that he isn’t in the first-team mix at Everton and has only one year remaining on his contract, the Gers should fancy their chances of nabbing him in a cut-price deal.