Glasgow Rangers return to action in the Scottish Premiership later this week as they prepare to travel away from Ibrox to take on Kilmarnock on Sunday.
The Light Blues did not play last weekend, due to the October international break, and had beaten St Johnstone 2-0 in their last match in the division.
Vaclav Cerny scored both goals for the Scottish giants in the clash at Ibrox, with one either side of half-time, and Ianis Hagi was sent off on his return to action for the club.
The Gers are currently on 16 points after seven games in the Premiership and are five points behind Celtic and Aberdeen at the top of the table, as they have both won all seven of their matches in the league.
Philippe Clement will be looking to bridge the gap to the top two over the coming weeks to ensure that his side does not slip away from the title race.
It could be that the Belgian boss looks to bolster his squad in the upcoming January transfer window to give his team a boost in the title race ahead of the second half of the season, amid reported interest in Dario Osorio.
Rangers' interest in Chile international
It was recently reported by journalist Graeme Bailey that Rangers are one of a number of teams showing interest in Midtjylland forward Dario Osorio.
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The outlet claimed that the Light Blues and their Glasgow rivals Celtic are both admirers of the Scotland international and suggested that they have both had a long-standing interest in the young gem.
It also stated that there are a host of Premier League teams keeping tabs on his progress in Denmark. Aston Villa, Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace, Wolves, and Newcastle United are eyeing up the 20-year-old prospect ahead of the January transfer window.
The report added that there are also clubs in France and Spain looking at Osorio as a potential target, which shows that Rangers would likely face plenty of competition for his signature if they decided to act upon their interest in him.
However, the report did not reveal how much money it would take to convince Midtjylland to cash in on their starlet ahead of the second half of the season.
If Clement and head of recruitment Nils Koppen can strike early and reach an agreement to bring the forward to Ibrox, Osorio could come through the door at the start of 2025 as an upgrade on current Rangers winger Ross McCausland.
Ross McCausland's first-team form for Rangers
The Northern Ireland international made his first-team breakthrough as a regular in the squad under the Belgian head coach during the 2023/24 campaign.
Having come up through the academy system, supporters may have enjoyed watching his rise to the senior team and got to watch him 39 times in all competitions last term.
In those 39 matches, though, McCausland struggled to offer a regular threat at the top end of the pitch. He ended the season with a return of four goals and five assists, including three goals and four assists in 29 outings in the league.
Clement may have been hoping that the 21-year-old whiz would use that experience to take the next step in his career and emerge as a star for the club this season.
Unfortunately, however, it has been more of the same for the young forward as he is still searching for consistency and quality in his play in the final third.
The Northern Irish gem has produced one goal and zero assists in two outings in the Europa League but his form in the Premiership has left a lot to be desired.
Appearances
5
Goals
0
Big chances missed
1
Big chances created
0
Assists
1
As you can see in the table above, the Rangers youngster has offered very little at the top end of the pitch, with one assist, despite not creating a single ‘big chance’, and zero goals.
These statistics show that there is room for the Light Blues to dip into the market to sign an upgrade on him, by landing a player who can provide more quality in the final third as a scorer and a creator of goals.
Why Rangers should sign Dario Osorio
With this in mind, Koppen and Clement must swoop to sign Osorio from Midtjylland to improve the club’s options on the flanks, based on his form for the Danish side over the last 14 months or so.
The Chile international, who was hailed as a “flamboyant” player who is similar to Angel Di Maria by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored 11 goals in 40 matches at club level since the start of last season.
Like McCausland, Osorio has produced one goal in two Europa League outings this term but his form in the league has been significantly more impressive.
Whilst the Northern Irishman has failed to score or provide a ‘big chance’ for his teammates in five Premiership outings, the 20-year-old gem has scored one goal and created two ‘big chances’ in five starts in the Superliga this term.
Appearances
23
29
Starts
15
15
Goals
8
3
Big chances missed
0
2
Big chances created
4
3
Assists
2
4
As you can see in the table above, Osorio outperformed McCausland as both a scorer and a creator of goals from the wing during the 2023/24 campaign, with five more goals and one more ‘big chance’ created, despite playing six fewer matches.
The Chilean wizard, who can play on the left or the right flank, could come in and offer a greater goal threat for Rangers in the final third, whilst also providing slightly more creativity.
At the age of 20, Osorio would also come in as a long-term addition as a player who could develop and improve as he gains more experience whilst playing week-in-week-out, and that is another reason why the Gers should swoop for his services in January.
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