Rangers could sign Cerny 2.0 in an “exciting” January move

The January transfer window has officially opened for almost two weeks and Glasgow Rangers they have yet to take a step to strengthen their playing squad.

It’s hard to hide from the need for the Gers to improve Philippe Clementoptions on the field, given how far behind their rivals they are Scottish Premiership table.

The Light Blues are already 15 points behind Celtic in the league and lost to their Glasgow rivals on penalties at Hampden Park in the League Cup final last month.

Clement and technical director Nils Koppen are reportedly looking to add a new centre-back to the club, amid injuries to Leon Balogun, John Souttar and Dujon Sterling, among others.

Hjalmar Ekdal, defender of Burnley is one of the reported targets on the radar for Rangers, but the Scottish giants could also benefit from adding more attacking options to the squad before the end of the January transfer window.

The Gers currently have Vaclav Cerny on loan from Wolfsburg and must start thinking about what life might look like after his return to Germany at the end of the season.

Vaclav Cerny’s form for Rangers this season

Rangers have only signed the Czech international on loan from the Bundesliga and there is no option to make the deal permanent at the moment, meaning the striker only needs to be at Ibrox until the summer.

His return to Wolfsburg will be a huge blow for the Gers ahead of the 2025/26 season, provided they fail to bring him back for a second spell, as he has been a big player for Clement this term.

The left-footed wizard bristled 12 goals and seven assists in 32 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants, including three goals and two assists in six Europa League appearances.

These stats show that the Czech forward has the quality to be a threat as both a goalscorer and goal-scorer on the right flank, scoring with his left foot to devastating effect.

As you can see in the table above, Cerny has produced plenty of quality at the top of the pitch in the Premiership for the Light Blues, with 14 goals and ‘big chances’ created in a combined 20 appearances in the division.

These stats illustrate just how much of a blow it will be when the 27-year-old star moves on from Ibrox at the end of the season, which is why the Gers need to keep an eye on the market to see if there is an opportunity to find his long-term replacement.

With this in mind, Clement and Koppen need to rekindle the club’s interest in Plymouth Argyle winger Morgan Whittaker, who has the potential to be Cerny 2.0 for the Light Blues.

Rangers’ long-standing interest in Morgan Whittaker

The Gers have not been linked with an interest in the England striker but have been credited with wanting the striker in a number of windows in the past.

Apparently they had an offer of £2m he was rejected by Swansea in the January transfer window at the start of 2023, two years ago this month, ahead of Michael Beale rekindled that interest in the summer, only for Plymouth Argyle to sign him on a permanent deal ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

It was then reported last summer2024, that Rangers were looking to sign the Pilgrim forward and were preparing a swoop for the left-handed dynamo to bolster Clement’s squad.

It was recently discovered by journalist Alex Crook that Championship sides Hull City and Burnley both had bids from Plymouth for the winger, although it remains to be seen how much they want for his services.

With interest in Whittaker seemingly intensifying, Clement must reignite the club’s long-standing desire to sign the England star this month, rather than miss out on him again.

Why Rangers Should Sign Morgan Whittaker

Some might look at his form this season and question why the Gers should splash the cash to bring him to Ibrox, as he has struggled in front of goal at times.

Whittaker has scored three goals and provided one assist in 18 Championship appearances this season, a far from impressive return at the top of the pitch, although he also scored in a 1-0 win over Premier League side Brentford in the FA Cup at the weekend.

However, he plays for a struggling Plymouth side at the moment at the bottom of the championshipwith only four wins and that’s why it was difficult for him to progress.

Rangers should instead look to his form from 2023/24, as part of the Plymouth side that avoided relegation to League One, to see what kind of quality he could produce at right-back for the Gers as their eventual replacement for Cerny.

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old sensation has provided consistent quality in the final third as both a scorer and goal-creator, just as Cerny has been for the Gers so far this season.

Whittaker, who was hailed as “exciting” of his former boss Steven Schumacher, has the ability to cross in with his left foot from the right to consistently score goals, as shown by his form last season, and can create ‘big chances’ for his teammates to hit the net.

Rangers could therefore sign him as a long-term replacement for the Czech international by signing him this month and giving him five months to settle and learn from Cerny, before looking to star for Clement in the 2025/26 campaign. and wider.

It is now up to Koppen to make a move for Whittaker and agree a fee with Plymouth to bring the winger to Ibrox before the end of the January transfer window.