Rangers are ready to make their move on AEK Athens defender James Penrice. Rangers fans, and indeed SPFL fans, will remember Penrice from his days at Hearts the season before they became title contenders.
A further bonus? Penrice is a self-confessed Rangers fan, and would be playing for his boyhood heroes as Lawrence Shankland now is.
Penrice moved out to Greece with AEK last summer before Hearts indeed shone so well in the SPL. He has done pretty decently for the Athens based side.
A League Winner In Greece
AEK, of course, won the Greek Super League ahead of Rangers’ former Champions League rivals Olympiakos. This has put Penrice in a position of becoming a league champion with the title winner’s belt to his name.
However, he is not strictly regarded as an absolute marquee player in Athens and only started around 16 matches in the domestic league.
He started quite a few in Europe as well and in cups. Consequently, he had a total of 33 appearances for the Greek side, which is fairly healthy.
Rangers are looking to bring him in as a deputy to Tuur Rommens.
Cover For The Left Side
Indeed, Rangers’ Belgian left back is by far the first choice and most marquee player on the roster at the moment. There is a notable exception, of course, in the new signing Shankland.
Nevertheless, a deputy is required on the left because there is nobody else who can back up Rommens should the Belgian be injured.
Rangers, of course, had to rely on Jayden Meghoma last season, who was an absolutely diabolical substandard player and not of the level needed.
Penrice is extremely familiar with the SPL, of course, being a former Hearts player and, of course, knows the demands at Rangers. He’s a boyhood Rangers fan so few would know better what it takes.
Experience And Development
He is also, as we have mentioned, a league winner, so he knows what must win is all about.
AEK and Olympiakos, along with Panathinaikos, are probably the three must win clubs in Greece. Penrice has very much delivered at that level.
He would be a fairly wise acquisition and has clearly developed enough in Greece to have evolved his level.
Penrice did, however, fall short of joining Scotland for the World Cup. He does not appear to be quite at that level. But then he’s up against Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney on that side to name just two so no shame there.
Hence, he would not be a marquee signing to the extent of being a first choice left back. Then again, Rangers are not looking for one.
A Sensible Option
Tuur Rommens will be the first choice by a considerable distance next season. Penrice would be a healthy backup and could possibly be used in front of him as well.
Rangers are looking into adding the former Hearts man and Rangers fan to the roster.
Not the most unwise move.