Rangers midfielder Greg Docherty is hoping to seal a transfer to an English Championship club in the January transfer window, according to Football Insider.
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The 23-year-old has made just five first team appearances this season and Football Insider reported that he has his eyes set on a move to the English second tier, claiming that Hull City could make a swoop for him this month.
According to Football Insider, a loan move is more likely than a permanent sale for the midfielder, who has also attracted interest from Peterborough and Shrewsbury in English League One.
Docherty has been on the periphery at Rangers for the last few months, with all five of his first team appearances this term coming before mid-August. He hasn’t even been selected in a matchday squad since his last senior outing against East Fife in the Betfred Cup almost five months ago. [via TransferMarkt]
His cause has not been helped by the multitude of central midfield options in Steven Gerrard’s squad, with Ryan Jack, Scott Arfield, Joe Aribo, Glen Kamara and Steven Davis all playing more than 2,000 minutes already this season (as per TransferMarkt).
Docherty showed signs of his potential during a loan spell at Shrewsbury in 2018/19, where he scored 10 goals and provided 11 assists in 50 appearances. However, even that fruitful campaign hasn’t been enough to see him fighting for first team contention at Ibrox in recent months.
Gerrard gave him a few opportunities in the Europa League qualifying rounds, with a hat-trick of assists in the 6-0 thrashing of St Joseph’s, but even that was one of just two starts he made for the first team in 2019/20. [via TransferMarkt]
The Rangers boss has spoken out favourably about the 23-year-old, telling BBC that “he has been absolutely magnificent with his professionalism and training really well”, although he added that he would not stand in Docherty’s way if the midfielder wishes to leave Ibrox.
Docherty’s complete absence from the Rangers squad since August suggests that he needs a move elsewhere in January to avoid this season becoming a write-off, with little sign of him getting first team action at Ibrox any time soon.
However, his high goal involvements tally at Shrewsbury last term and his three assists in Europa League qualifying hint that he can be an effective presence, so Rangers would likely be best off loaning him out for the remainder of the season instead of cutting ties permanently.
Rangers fans, do you feel Docherty needs a move away from the club this month? Can you see him ever getting back into the first team setup at Ibrox? Join in the discussion by commenting below!
