Opinion: Steven Gerrard's potential 13th Rangers signing would be his best one yet

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard is looking to bolster his squad with the addition of Nottingham Forest defender Joe Worral, The Daily Record reports. What’s the word? Seeking to maintain a superb start to the season, new Rangers boss Steven Gerrard is looking to strengthen further before the Scottish transfer window shuts next Friday and has set his sights on an England U21 international. The Daily Record states Rangers want to sign Joe Worral from Nottingham Forest and have made an enquiry to the Championship side for a defender who captained England to victory in the prestigious Toulon Tournament in 2017. Worral has slipped down the pecking order with Aitor Karanka’s side at the start of the new campaign and Forest are prepared to offload the 21-year-old, although Rangers will face competition in the market from Championship trio Aston Villa, West Brom and Stoke City. Forest are likely to prefer a move that would see Worral move north of the border rather than to a direct Championship rival and the young defender could be set to become Gerrard’s 13th signing of the summer. Is he a good fit? Earning over 50 league appearances since making his Nottingham Forest debut two years ago, and accumulating three caps for England’s U21 side, Worral certainly has the experience to shine with Gerrard’s side. After making 31 appearances with Forest last season, Worral has tumbled down Karanka’s pecking order at the City Ground and a move to Rangers could appeal to all parties as it would allow the youngster to continue his development. Forest’s signings of Michael Dawson and Michael Hefele have blocked Worral’s route into the first-team, which means a move to Rangers could hand him the chance to get back on track and may see him catch the eye of other clubs, with The Nottingham Post stating in January that Burnley were eyeing a swoop. Considering the promise he has shown previously and the quality he clearly has on his day, he would be Gerrard’s best Rangers signing yet.

Source: Football Fan Cast, Blog