Rangers have completed the signing of AS Roma striker, Umar Sadiq, on loan for the rest of the season. The new boss of The Gers, Steven Gerrard, has not wasted any time in bringing more quality to his side and Sadiq’s move to the Ibrox Stadium was a move which was in the pipeline for quite some time.
Gerrard had already signed Scott Arfield, Allan McGregor, Jamie Murphy, Nikola Katic, Connor Goldson, Jon Flanagan and Ovie Ejaria and now, he seems to have plans for Sadiq in his tactical setup this season. The 21-year-old emerged through the youth ranks of Abuja FC, Spezia, Lavagnese and Roma. In the summer of 2015, he signed a loan deal with Roma and eventually, the Italian giants signed him permanently.
Last season, he garnered a notable loan spell with Eredivisie outfit, NEC Breda, as he managed to find the back of the net on 5 occasions in the Dutch top flight along with an assist. He is one of the most highly rated starlets in Nigerian football but given that Roma would be looking to challenge the likes of Napoli and Juventus for the Serie A title next season, staying in the ranks of Roma could have been detrimental to his development with the manager hardly expected to toy around with his starting XI or experiment too much throughout the course of the season.
Sadiq has a lot of potential to offer and his vertical advantage and physical strength makes him an attractive proposition for managers. He is assertive in aerial duels and is quite athletic as well. Thanks to his raw pace, he has what it takes to outrun the opposition defence more often than not and his movements on and off the ball have enabled him to further his game.
But Sadiq comes with his fair share of drawbacks. His lack of defensive contribution and inability to take quick decisions has somewhat hindered him in his short career till now. On plenty of occasions, he has been found bereft of confidence in the final third and he has to be more clinical. By no means is he a finished product and he still needs time and the right guidance to blossom further.
Celtic carved domestic superiority once again last season under the tutelage of Brendan Rodgers as they clinched the domestic treble. It would take a monumental effort from Gerrard & Co. to outclass them in the coming months. Rangers struggled up front last season and they genuinely need a commendable centre-forward. Although they have got hold of Sadiq, they are going to need a striker with a proven pedigree to enhance their chances of going head to head with the likes of Celtic and Aberdeen.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
