Glasgow Rangers looked to lower the average age of their playing squad in the recent summer transfer window, with plenty of movement in and out of Ibrox.
The Light Blues, firstly, allowed Jon McLaughlin, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack, Kemar Roofe, and Borna Barisic to depart at the end of their respective contracts.
Philippe Clement and head of recruitment Nils Koppen also sanctioned the exits of Connor Goldson, Scott Wright, Todd Cantwell, and Ben Davies, either permanently or on loan.
Those exits freed up space for the Gers to bring in players to bolster the squad, with the likes of Nedim Bajrami, Robin Propper, Vaclav Cerny, Hamza Igamane, Connor Barron, Jefte, and Oscar Cortes coming through the door, albeit Cortes was on loan during the second half of last term.
This took the squad from an average age of 26.2 in the 2023/24 campaign to 25.2 this season, which suggests that Clement and Koppen did good work to bring down the age of the group.
The Light Blues now have a younger squad that is full of players with the potential to develop and grow in value, and they have recently been urged to go and sign another young player – Lyall Cameron.
Rangers told to sign Lyall Cameron
Speaking on the Open Goal YouTube channel, former Rangers ace Andy Halliday recently told the Gers to “go and sign” Dundee central midfielder Lyall Cameron.
The retired Scottish defender has urged both the Light Blues and Glasgow rivals Celtic to pursue a deal for the 22-year-old dynamo in the upcoming transfer windows.
Halliday referenced Luke McCowan, who joined the Hoops from Dundee in the summer, and described his move as a ‘no-brainer’, and said that Cameron should be the next player to make the same transfer to one of the big teams in Scotland.
However, the pundit did add that the youngster may not be someone who makes an immediate and big impact at Ibrox, or Parkhead, but that he could arrive as a fantastic squad option for Clement to consider.
McCowan produced ten goals and five assists in 37 matches in the Scottish Premiership during the 2023/24 campaign, but is more experienced than Cameron – at the age of 26.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The current Dundee star turned 22 on Thursday and would arrive at Ibrox as a youngster with plenty of potential to develop and improve over the years to come, which could make him a dream for Connor Barron.
Connor Barron's start to life at Rangers
The Scotland U21 international joined Rangers in the summer transfer window after his contract with Aberdeen expired at the end of last season, with the Dons due a yet-to-be-agreed compensation.
He has already emerged as a key player in the engine room for Clement, starting six of his seven appearances in the Premiership so far, and has caught the eye with his displays.
The 22-year-old, like Cameron, is a young talent who still has plenty of time left ahead of him to grow and develop as a player during his time in Glasgow, which means that the pair could improve alongside each other over the years to come.
Barron has provided a metronomic presence at the base of the midfield for Clement in the Premiership so far this season, completing 91% of his attempted passes.
However, the Scottish youngster has struggled to offer much in the way of quality at the top end of the pitch from a midfield position, despite his efficiency in possession.
Appearances
7
Goals
0
Assists
0
Big chances created
0
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.9
Ball recoveries per game
3.7
As you can see in the table above, the former Aberdeen star has yet to contribute with a single goal, assist, or ‘big chance’ created in the top-flight.
He has, though, averaged 5.6 tackles, interceptions, and recoveries per game for the Scottish giants, which shows that he is adept at winning possession back for his side on a consistent basis.
Barron is excellent at breaking up opposition attacks and then keeping play ticking for his team with simple passes, hence his high pass completion rate, and that is another reason why Cameron would be a dream for him, as he has the quality on the ball to complement his compatriot.
Why Rangers should sign Lyall Cameron
The 22-year-old Dundee star is a central midfielder who likes to push forward to make things happen, with goals and assists, at the top end of the pitch.
In the 2022/23 campaign, Cameron contributed with an eye-catching 14 goals and five assists in 38 appearances in all competitions, to help his team to secure promotion from the Championship.
The Scotland U21 international, who was lauded as “terrific” by Gary Bowyer, followed that up with five goals in 28 appearances in the regular season in the Premiership last season for Dundee, in his first year at the top level.
These statistics show that the young whiz, who Rangers have been told to go and sign in the January transfer window, has the potential to offer a solid threat as a goalscorer from a central midfield position. Whereas, Barron has only scored two goals in the Premiership since the start of the 2021/22 campaign.
Appearances
7
Sofascore rating
7.19
Goals
0
Key passes per game
2.1
Big chances created
2
Assists
3
As you can see in the table above, Cameron has yet to showcase his goalscoring ability for Dundee this season but has been in fantastic form as a creator of goals.
Only James Tavernier (2.6) has created more chances per game within the Rangers squad than the 22-year-old star’s 2.1 key passes per match in the Premiership this season, whilst no Gers player has registered more than two assists.
This suggests that Cameron would come in and be one of the biggest creative threats in Clement’s squad, if he can carry that form over to Ibrox.
After Sterling: Rangers should hand a pay rise to £22k-p/w star
The Light Blues attacking midfielder has enjoyed an impressive start to the season.
2 ByDan EmeryOct 9, 2024
Therefore, the SPFL dynamo could be a dream partner for Barron in midfield because he can offer a threat as a scorer and a creator, which the current Gers ace does not, and they can both develop and improve alongside each other at 22 years old.
