Rangers are preparing for life after Alfredo Morelos with a potential move for Troyes striker Iké Ugbo, 24, after the Canada international hitman’s career continued to flourish in Ligue 1 following a strong period in Belgium and who manager Michael Beale knows well from his Chelsea days.
The £6M-rated talisman has 7 in 37 in France, which is reasonable for a relegation-threatened side, while his time in the Jupiler Pro yielded 19 in 50, also a solid return. He has never scored for his country in 8 appearances.
As his contract is still very much in play, running till 2026, this is one that would set Rangers back a chunk of change for sure, and the following sums up what he’d bring to the club:
“Not only did he score goals for fun (in Belgium) last season, but he also generated a good chunk of non-penalty Expected Goals (xG) and xG per shot, which shows that not only was he scoring goals, but he was generating good chances, too. Plus, he’s pretty decent in the air, winning a fair bit of aerial duels, and does a pretty good job at pressing high up the pitch, which is indicated by his pressure regains.
So overall, he looks like a traditional #9, one that thrives on receiving the ball in the box and finishing his chances, but can also press high and win his aerial duels, which is certainly backed up by his stats over the last few years. There is some work for him to do in terms of his hold-up play when the ball is at his feet, but based on his overall skill package, you can imagine that he finds a way to add that to his game, in turn making him a pretty complete #9.”
So he’s a striker who lacks a little bit of power on the ball to retain possession, but every other department of his game is strong and pretty well developed.
He’s not scoring for fun in France, but for a side doomed with the drop, that’s not surprising. He is a solid performer who could well be a shrewd investment for Rangers if Michael Beale is serious about capturing the Canada man.