Scottish champions Rangers lined with midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who is free to leave Juventus; Could the Welshman still cut it in British football can boost Rangers' title defence?
Monday 31 January 2022 17:55, UK
Could Aaron Ramsey still cut it? And what would he bring to Rangers were he to move to Ibrox? Sky Sports' Jack Wilkinson looks at the midfielder's time with Juventus and Wales for answers...
Scottish champions Rangers are leading the chase to sign the 31-year-old from Juventus before Monday's transfer deadline, according to Sky in Italy.
Rangers are in talks with Juve over a loan with an option to sign him permanently in the summer, which if completed would see Rangers beat Burnley, Crystal Palace and Wolves to his signature.
Ramsey was widely applauded for taking the leap to go and play overseas, and its a decision which has almost certainly been vindicated.
Despite not quite hitting the levels he did in his final season at Arsenal, Ramsey's first two campaigns at Juventus under Maurizio Sarri and then Andrea Pirlo were a success and saw the Welshman win Serie A, Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup titles.
Issues have cropped up this season under Massimiliano Allegri, however, mainly in the form of injuries, which have limited him to just three Serie A appearances this season.
In fact, Ramsey has missed 17 games missed this season, as many as he did in his first two seasons combined at Juventus.
Ramsey will undoubtedly look back at his time at Juventus, the success he's enjoyed, and the opportunity to experience a new footballing culture, fondly, but for a player aged 31, and with a decent chunk of his career remaining, he cannot be appearing as infrequently as he has.
With Juventus reportedly keen to get Ramsey's hefty salary off the wage bill, moving on from the club could be one which suits both club and player.
A clearer indication of the prowess Ramsey still possesses, and his possible suitability to Rangers, can be seen upon studying his performances for Wales since he moved to Juventus, rather than his final-season struggles in Turin.
Remarkably, Ramsey has scored more goals for his country, 13, since moving to Juventus than he actually has for Juventus, and that's despite playing three times the number of Serie A games.
In terms of his name and reputation alone, three-time FA Cup winner Ramsey would definitely sprinkle some stardust on Giovani van Bronckhorst's squad, who head into 2022 in position to retain the Scottish Premiership title.
But with just hours to go until the January window slams shut, Rangers must weigh up whether Ramsey's form for Juventus and Wales justifies adjusting their wage structure, and whether Ramsey is a calculated gamble worth taking.
Who will be on the move in January?
The January transfer window opens on Saturday January 1, 2022 and closes at 11pm on Monday January 31.
Keep up-to-date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
