Agent confirms Rangers talks with 20 appearance UCL star

With Martin Skrtel’s agent today confirming the player is currently in talks with Steven Gerrard’s Rangers, it reopens a whole can of worms regarding Rangers’ rearguard.

Of course, Steven Gerrard has already added two new centrebacks in George Edmundson and Filip Helander, giving him four viable options at the back.

But if the cost of Skrtel can be managed within the club’s budget, and give his wage demands were previously at around £50,000 a week, that’s a very big if, there are probably few Rangers fans who absolutely wouldn’t want the Slovakian colossus.

He is, no matter the circumstances, a top defender, even if he’s arguably past his peak, and he’s still delivering at levels high enough to justify a move to Rangers.

The weight of the Rangers shirt would be no trouble to Gerrard’s ex-team mate.

But of course, there’s a huge caveat – the agent could well be talking absolute piffle and trying to drum up interest in his client. We know the same agent has been talking about interest in the player from the likes of Parma (strange one given they already have Bruno Alves) and Olympiacos, and Rangers are another big name to create even more.

But this story could actually be true – and it’s a very clear statement that he’s made – that Skrtel is indeed meeting with Rangers to discuss a move.

Do we want him? If the price is right, we wouldn’t say no. Regular readers will know we’re not convinced by Goldson, and while we do like Katic, he’s error prone even over a year after joining, something George Edmundson, a year or two younger, doesn’t seem to suffer. Meanwhile Helander isn’t fit yet and a team like Rangers could really use five top stoppers at the back, with Skrtel being a really marquee name who, at 34, is the alpha type centre half that Rangers no longer have.

In short, Rangers’ defenders are all 26 or younger, with no outright leader there. Maybe Steven Gerrard thinks he needs a leader at the back, a true captain to steady the ship, and that’s why talks with Skrtel have resumed.

If the pay structure can be kept within Rangers’ limits, and Skrtel really does want to join his old team mate, we’re not against it.

But that’s a lot of ifs…