RANGERS are at a critical juncture. It is becoming increasingly apparent, and the consensus is that the club and its structures need to be rebuilt with increased solidity and progressive potential. The personnel in the engine room are no different.
Despite the available evidence, the Ibrox hierarchy decided to extend the contracts of Scott Arfield and Steven Davis and with the greatest of respect, these moves just kicked the can down the road.
There will be plenty of turnover and gaps to fill come the summer; however, bringing in multiple midfield options is imperative for both the here and now in Rangers' future. As such, I've looked specifically towards South America to profile three candidates who would offer the club a step in the right direction and satisfy the remits of what should be a successful rebuild this summer.
Jesus Castillo, Sporting Cristal
For a while, it appeared that Rangers' demands lay centrally with No.8s and were concerned with bolstering the number of goalscorers in the midfield unit. This remains imperative but concerns have developed in the No.6 also, both in terms of the number of bodies with Davis and Ryan Jack likely to leave upon their contract’s end and quality available.
Sporting Cristal’s Jesus Castillo is not a catch-all solution, but he is very good and, importantly, has the potential to become fantastic. Despite Peruvian football being populated by largely diminutive attacking threats, Castillo stands at a tall 185 cm and bolsters a long and robust physical frame. He has been around the Sporting Cristal first-team for three seasons, breaking into the side at 18. His presence in the rotation led him to pick up a Peruvian league and cup title at just 21. The Peruvian is primarily played as a No.6 or No.8, as his mix of skills fits the remit of a modern progressive sitter. Castillo mixes safety and progression whilst in possession, seldom giving away the ball yet still playing an essential and influential role in build-up. His pass security and ball progression scores in the below graphic support this assertion.
Castillo is comfortable with being tasked with dropping deep to help possession transition between defence and attack. He thrives when plunging into the six-space to receive before spraying the ball across the pitch or playing the easy lateral pass, context-dependent. Castillo’s ability to feint and manipulate his body assists him when assuming possession in tight spaces, something he would be consistently asked to do at Rangers.
He has refined his ability in the final third during his most recent campaign, culminating in him developing several scoring mechanisms that have helped him become a tangible attacking threat, as seen in the graphic above. He’s always been a good ball striker, but his timing of attacking runs and use of said runs have improved extensively and birthed a plethora of goals.
Out of possession, Castillo has a workman-like ethic that would please the Rangers faithful. He covers ground well and with intent and is effective at intercepting passes and regaining possession through aggressive but intelligent duels. He was one of few Sporting players who impressed during their most recent Libertadores campaign, a very impressive co-sign.
He was linked with European sides as recently as a few months back, with Club Brugge taking an interest in the midfielder. His skills would work well as both a No.6 or No.8 for Rangers; this versatility, combined with his high upside and demeanour, means that monitoring him and entering negotiations with Sporting Cristal is a no-brainer in my opinion.
Jairo Concha, Alianza Lima
Let’s head to the darker blue side of Lima. Much like Castillo, who rocks the lighter blue of Lima, Concha is also a hybrid midfielder. However, he prefers the final to the defensive third and is a No.8/10 hybrid as opposed to his countryman, who, as established, is a No.6/8 hybrid.
The pint-sized playmaker has been a central tenant in an Alianza side that recently celebrated a second successive Peruvian top-flight title. His contract situation is interesting, his current deal expires in two months, but there has been extensive speculation that he is set to extend for another year or two. Regardless, he should be a target for Rangers due to his outstanding qualities. During his time in Peru’s capital, Concha has displayed a varied and highly refined set of skills which match my requirements for a Rangers No.8 or 10. He’s a strong finisher, popping up in the box to finish off his side’s attacks, supported by the relevant metrics below.
Albeit a consistent goalscorer, Concha’s true value is his ability to set up his teammates. The Alianza midfielder is an excellent playmaker and shows off a diverse passing range, evidenced by his frankly ridiculous consistency in the passing metrics above. He has the ability to consistently break the lines and play with his teammates with excellently weighted through passes.
Despite being relatively small, his ability to shield and extrapolate all utility from his frame is top-notch, helping him establish a stable base when receiving the ball. When moving with the ball, his touch is velcro-like, and once combined with his low centre of gravity, it makes him difficult to dispossess. Concha pulls his weight out of possession in Peru, but I fear his lightweight frame may be targeted, albeit the negative consequences of this are largely suppressed by the possession Rangers enjoy.
Concha’s glass ceiling is firmly set by his lack of top-level athleticism, which, to many, is a pre-requisite quality for any Rangers player. He’s not the fastest nor the strongest, so some may say he’s not fit for Scottish football. However, passing on such a technically quality player based on his height is truly last-century thinking. Concha's positional versatility and obvious qualities would provide tremendous value to Rangers. He offers an economical and multi-potent option that would go a long way to satisfying the Ibrox club's demands and the logistics of any prospective rebuild.
Gabriel Baralhas, Atletico Goianiense
It’s about time Rangers recruited a good Brazilian player. Brazil likely offers some of the best value available on the market, given the absolute mass of quality players found all across their footballing pyramid. Couple this with the natural lure of making a career in Europe, Rangers can seldom afford to engage with this market with a more thorough lens, albeit trading the sunny, vibrant streets of Brazil for the rain-drenched west of Scotland may be a tough sell.
A logical jumping point for this would be in the city of Goiania, whose side recently suffered relegation to Serie B, and with their tenacious midfielder Gabriel Baralhas.
Baralhas is a well-rounded and industrial No.8, which can be seen in the data above, which is all the more impressive when you consider he managed this output for a relegation-level side in a far superior league to ours.
What is immediately apparent when watching Baralhas is his power and how it extends to all aspects of his game. He’s intense when challenging passing lanes and pressing opponents, his running is powerful and fast, and his shot power is immense, a significant reason why he consistently finds the net.
Baralhas mixes the passing qualities of the aforementioned Peruvian duo, providing security in possession whilst simultaneously breaking lines, exploiting and creating space, and supplying teammates with high-quality shooting opportunities. For Atletico Gioinaianse, Baralhas was tasked with substantial defensive responsibility and did so largely successfully, as seen in the graphic above. Even with this workload, he still managed to extend his influence forward with his already established playmaking and goalscoring contributions.
Realistically Baralhas could turn out as a No.6, No.8 or even a No.10 if needs be, but he would be best as a box-to-box midfielder when playing higher-quality opposition and at the base of midfield when the handbrake is taken off domestically.
Given Atletico’s relegation and his deal that expires in 18 months, you would think that the club would be willing to come to the table with any respectful proposition, which Rangers should do, and fast before someone else does.
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