4 realistic Rangers signings as MLS scouted for bargains to 'supercharge' team

For the most part, this phenomenon has bled into sports as top US institutions across fields like basketball, baseball, swimming and more have become the blueprint for maximising potential, success, and profit.

It has taken a while for the world's sport to find a stable base in the star-spangled states; however, as we enter the 2020s, football has consolidated its place amongst the general American sporting culture and is set to explode. This has manifested in both the national team (USMNT) set-up and Major League Soccer (MLS) where we have seen a tangible transformation from a "retirement league" to a division filled with exciting talents from across the Americas. Like everything in the US, we have seen a vast expansion of investment within the league's ecosystem, which comparatively trounces the Scottish Premiership seen in the graphic below.

Considering this, there must be a wide array of quality players plying their trade across the 50 states, which there is in abundance. Rangers have previous when it comes to recruiting in the USA, and for the most part, it has been a resounding success. As such, let's have a look at who could headline a new wave of star-spangled superstars at Ibrox.

Andre Blake

Rangers are in an interesting predicament when it comes to the goalkeepers at the club. Allan McGregor is likely to call time on his legendary career come the end of the season, and thus by vacating the position, a power vacuum will emerge. Currently, there are two candidates at the club to fill the position, albeit neither is ideal. John McLaughlin, who, on pure skill, is likely good enough to inherit the job; however, he has a contract expiring this summer and will be 35 by the beginning of the 22/23 season. The other option is the unproven Robby McCrorie. He has long been touted as the heir to McGregor's throne; however, his lack of Premiership experience coupled with some less than impressive performances during his most recent loan at Livingston means there are serious concerns over his credentials. I propose to look outside the ranks and secure a quality keeper capable of holding down the position for as long as the club can keep hold of him. In the MLS, there is no better option than Reggae Boyz star Andre Blake, who has been in and around the conversation for MLS's best goalkeeper for the best part of five years.

The graphic above provides some insight as to how Blake has performed in the past calendar year. What is immediately evident and impressive is his phenomenal save rate and prevented goals p90. These two metrics paint the clearest picture of how effective a keeper is in bread and butter activities. Combined, these two metrics show Blake's tangible effect on results on a game-by-game basis, which is the ultimate compliment for any GK. When we look beyond shot-stopping, we can see that Blake is no sweeper-keeper and engages in defensive duels at an average rate, which is no problem, as Rangers do not need these qualities for their current system.

When it comes to passing which is a pivotal part of a Rangers keeper's locker, Blake comes out decently. Blake's low passes p90 is more likely down to system than any technical deficiency. The Jamaican is also a good progressor of the ball, suggesting that he can find targets from a distance, necessary for generating counter-attacking opportunities. Comparing the passing side of the game between a Rangers GK and non-Rangers GK is usually quite unfair due to the unprecedented dominance that Rangers enjoy, and by extension, possession.

READ MORE: Three out of contract players Rangers could target in January to address squad disruption

With this in mind, let's look at a few radars which show how Blake compares to McGregor and McLaughlin Given the past year's success, it would be an understatement to say it’s impressive that Blake can keep up with Rangers number one and two in the radars above. They clearly show that Blake can hold his own and even surpass both McGregor and McLaughlin's shot-stopping though both are more involved in the build-up. The critical thing is that Blake would provide the pure raw ability to provide continuity to the back four. We would only be able to answer whether his passing is as good as McLaughlin's if Blake were to turn out for Rangers, though I would bet that his ball-playing abilities are up to scratch given the evidence.

Miles Robinson

One of the key themes for any prospective Rangers recruitment proposals for this season is the uncertainty around central defence. Given that my last piece also included a CB and detailed the relevant context at Rangers, expect central defender recruitment to be paramount to the club come the summer, and perhaps even this winter. If Steven Gerrard is wanting to sign a CB who will arrive to hit the ground running and likely leave for a healthy profit, he should head to Atlanta United and spend a healthy chunk of change on USMNT centre-back Miles Robinson.

At 24, he has established himself as both a starter in the USMNT and one of the league's best central defenders, and as such, he should look to cross the Atlantic sometime soon, with Rangers being an ideal destination.

Robinson is perhaps as complete a defender as you can get in the MLS, which is corroborated by the graphic above. Check out how resoundingly it's filled with long dark red bars. Robinson meshes technical ability with an incredible physique, making him a force during all phases of play, in the air and on the ground. Robinson would provide the creativity and accuracy that Connor Goldson delivers, which has been come increasingly pivotal to dissecting opposition blocks. Robinson has both pace and genuine defensive quality, which makes him a severe obstacle to opposition forwards, and if they do beat him, he has the speed required to challenge anyone in a foot race; just take a look at his incredible recovery against Costa Rica during the October international.

The radars above make it evident that Robinson has been able to hang it with both Goldson and Balogun, despite not playing for a team as dominant in the MLS as Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, making it all the more impressive. We can see that Robinson has provided a lot of the same quality that Goldson has to Rangers, albeit with a reduced goal threat. Many laud the frugality of the Goldson and Balogun deals as the value has been undeniable, with the only real downside of both players being their age. However, in the shape of Robinson, there is an opportunity to perhaps even upgrade with a newer model that has the potential to go even further and perform better than the already existing formidable rotation. Convincing Robinson to come to Scotland may be difficult and merit a transfer fee in Kemar Roofe to Ryan Kent territory; however, I genuinely believe there are few better ways to spend £3.5-5.5m.

Jose Cifuentes

Jose Cifuentes may be a name that some of you are aware of as he was briefly linked with a move to Celtic before choosing Los Angeles over Glasgow and leaving Ecuador for Los Angles FC. Since his arrival, the 22-year-old has performed admirably and emerged as an interesting and exciting central midfielder. Despite the series of good performances, LAFC and Cifuentes are yet to extend their current deal, which expires in 14 months; as such, Rangers would likely be able to sign him for a cut-price deal similar to his club's initial outlay of around £2.45m. At that price point, there are a few more appealing deals in the US.

The above graphic shows that Cifuentes contributes actively in creating and finishing chances for this LAFC side, finding himself in the 80th+ percentile for both xA and xG. This is further corroborated by the fact Cifuentes ranks highly in metrics such as Goal conversion %, Key passes p90, and Smart passes p90. The Ecuadorian is also a keen dribbler, evidenced by his 3.93 dribbles p90, which places him in the 88th percentile, albeit he must improve his success which is only a measly 47.17%. Cifuentes is also defensively active, engaging in an above-average number of defensive duels and coming out successful 59.01% of the time.

READ MORE: Josh Doig scouted: Is Rangers' long-term solution on the left 'space-attacking' full-back?

A picture of Cifuentes emerges, one of a box-to-box midfielder who provides in a creative and goal-scoring facet whilst also assisting in disrupting play. This description would be unique at Ibrox as he mixes part of Scott Arfield's game with Glen Kamara's, which sounds like an impressive co-sign. Despite this mix, the player he is probably most similar to is Joe Aribo; as such, let's look at the radar below.

It's important to note that Joe Aribos's numbers and performances last year are well above par and perhaps an unfair barometer for Cifuentes; however, if he arrived at Rangers, he would be expected to maintain the high standards set by his teammates. Cifuentes betters Aribo in terms of gross attacking output as he has a higher xG and xA. The other two metrics he betters the Nigerian is Smart Passes and Successful Defensive Actions, which as highlighted earlier, are two critical characteristics of a box-to-box midfielder. Beyond these four, Aribo tops Cifuentes in the other eight, really flexing his muscles for Dribble success and Interceptions. What is evident is that Cifuentes has all the characteristics and foundations to be a hit at Rangers, and if he were to arrive, these already impressive numbers would likely be supercharged. To me, this is a no-brainer as Cifuentes is likely to fit like a glove in Rangers midfield and, down the line, generate Rangers 2 or 3x the initial investment.

Djordje Mihailovic

With Ryan Kent yet to hit the heights of last season and Ianis Hagi's interrupted schedule, Rangers' lack of creativity beyond those two has been exposed and should provide the impetus for investment in a creative attacking midfielder or winger. In the MLS, there are a few options, but to me, none make more sense than USMNT attacking midfielder Djordje Mihailovic. Since trading Chicago for Montreal, the 22-year-old has come on leaps and bounds and posted some of the most impressive numbers league-wide, evident in the graphic below.

Despite putting up about average goal-scoring and movement numbers, Mihailovic is the epitome of a creative beast. The dark blue tinges to long bars show how effective he has been at creating for his teammates in Quebec. Albeit some credit must be due to his teammates who are helping him outperform his xA by 27%. However, Mihailovic deserves the majority of the credit as he is well above the 80th percentile for effectively every consequential creative category, a feat that is seldom repeated in the MLS.

Rangers do have top-class creativity within their ranks, so let's see how Mihailovic compares against two of the best, Ryan Kent and Ianis Hagi.

Compared to the Englishmen and Romanian, Mihailovic comes out better in three metrics, xA p90, xG p90, Shot Assists p90, and Foul Differential p90. These three metrics are all pivotal for an attacking midfielder as these encompass both chance creation and dribbling. In these respects, Mihailovic would supercharge Rangers' creativity and provide a reliable option for carries and ball progression. Despite this, Kent and Hagi have been more well rounded than Mihailovic over the past year, putting in more of a shift in a defensive capacity.

This is hardly a damning criticism of Mihailovic as he is forced to expend so much energy creating for a team who do not enjoy the same luxuries that Rangers do in Scotland.

It's clear that the Ibrox men need some rejuvenation in the wide and attacking midfield areas; considering this, I think Djordje Mihailovic is a merited and exciting candidate for that very role.