Rangers transfer options: The needle-threading No.10 who's available for buttons amid Independiente turmoil

Still, one area that stands out as a central vacancy is a traditional, line-splitting No.10, football's most romantic and revered stakeholder, stereotypically cultivated in the Mediterranean and the southern tip of South America.

The long-sweeping locks and the low-hanging socks of Rangers' academy product Alex Lowry accompany genuine technical ability and 2021/22 form that should see him play some role in the first team come next season, with the 10 a possible landing spot. Though entering a new season with just a rookie and a hybrid No.10 rehabilitating from a season-ending knee injury in the form of Ianis Hagi is an uncomfortable proposition for many and untenable for some. Also, the likelihood of Scott Arfield leaving come the end of the season is becoming more significant given his increasingly peripheral role.

Getting in a progressive and attacking body in the engine room is paramount, even before we begin to speculate on the futures of Joe Aribo and Aaron Ramsey. Beyond the positional and role requirements, getting in someone young yet experienced, familiar with the English language and available for pennies on the dollar would be welcomed for any hypothetical prospect. Those descriptors may as well describe Independiente's Alan Sonora.

The US-born playmaker has played in his father, former MLS and Boca Juniors defender Diego's homeland, Argentina, for the entirety of his young professional career, turning out consistently for Independiente.

To put it lightly, the lub is experiencing financial turmoil that threatens to proliferate into a situation akin to Rangers' own a decade back. This monetary ill-health combined with Sonora's deal expiring in December 2022 means it shouldn't be too difficult to convince the Buenos Aires club to cut their losses and get some cash for Sonora whilst they still can. He's is not the finished article, far from it, though he has the requisite attributes to come in and contribute at Ibrox.

Profile

Physically, Sonora is slender and slight. This comes with its advantages and disadvantages. He faces an uphill battle in most loose ball and defensive duels due to a disparity in size and strength. Conversely, his low centre of gravity and decent speed allow him to slip and slide past defenders, counterbalancing his lack of breakneck pace and upright strength. At No.10, his physical profile is adequate if not appropriate. It is far and away his preferred role as evidenced by the heatmap below, though the further back he goes, the riskier his play gets.

He could likely compete as an attacking No.8 though any deeper and more conservative role is ill-suited to his physical profile. Still, he has no shortage of experience in aggressive and highly-intense games. Sonora is very left-footed and his technical proficiency and general efficacy drop drastically when using his weaker side.

Moving onto his data profile, it's impressive and matches the expectations for any attacking midfielder at Rangers. In a goal-scoring capacity, Sonora has excelled, finding himself in the 90th percentile for three key metrics: Goals per90, Non-Penalty Goals per90, and Goal Conversion percentage. His overperformance of xG (expected goals) is intriguing yet not really concerning. Yes, he is performing at a level that is likely unsustainable; however, if he were to join Rangers, his xG would likely increase so maintaining scoring rates without abnormal luck or skill should be sustainable.

Sonora's trump card is his ability to thread the needle, which is abundantly evident in the passing section of the profile above. A constant barrage of red in quantitative and qualitative metrics is nothing but a good sign. Interestingly despite dominating the competition in the other passing metrics, his xA (expected assist) is below average. This makes little sense, as he is consistently playing balls in dangerous and advanced areas and getting actual assists at an above-average rate.

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Given the extensive possession and opportunities he would be afforded in Glasgow, it's encouraging that he has been able to make the most of and thrive in a similar situation at Independiente. Defensively his output is low; however, this data is filtered against central-midfielders rather than attacking midfielders and wingers, and as such, this is more a by-product of his role as opposed to a genuine deficiency.

Pass-Dominant Progression and Accessing the Final Third

Sonora is a pass-dominant ball-progressor. Though the mark of an elite progressor is a multi-faceted approach supported by both passing and dribbling, that doesn't mean that an individual who relies heavily on one cannot be elite. Sonora's progressive actions for the past calendar year can be seen in the graphic below. Despite the bold black that represents progressive runs, the less visible white strings that represent progressive passes dominate the image. I wouldn't go as far to say that Sonora's ability to drive with the ball is limited and if surrounded by the likes of Aribo and Glen Kamara in a midfield three, their ability to progress the ball whilst dribbling should counter-balance the dynamic.

Beyond just the point of progression, Sonora’s role in build-up is influential and has a tangible effect on creating goals. Below we can see Sonora’s placement regarding xGChain per90 and xGBuildup per90 compared to his peers, where he sits nicely close to the top. Both metrics quantify involvement in the proliferation of goal scoring chances, specifically all events, not just the final pass or shot. Sonora’s extensive responsibility for build-up mixed with his impressive xGBuildup per90 corroborates the idea that he is doing plenty of good work from deep. Given Rangers' often uninspiring attempts to build-up and break down, having Sonora drop deep and link play seems reasonable and exciting.

Sonora is often Indepdiente’s first and primary target when possession is won. His extensive and intelligent passing range usually allows him and his teammates to circumvent a few phases of play and quickly access the final third. The example below is perfect. Independiente and Lanus are stretched here, with both midfields largely non-existent. Independiente has numerical superiority on the right-wing, and Sonora identifies this, playing a well-timed lofted through ball to the wider of the two forwards.

This passing range is not necessarily only effective in the transition. However, that is the most optimal situation. As below, Sonora plays a strikingly similar ball, albeit now to open up a low but notably asymmetrical block. It is easy to see these situations often appear with Ryan Kent or Fashion Sakala as the main benefactors.

Setting up Teammates

Sonora is very much a centrally-based playmaker. He is a good crosser of the ball, though this ability is largely reduced in open-play versus a dead ball where he is fantastic. The map below shows his penalty-area deliveries which as established, are largely open-play passes as opposed to dribbles or crosses.

One of Sonora's more regular pass types is seen below. Here we see him straddle the boundary of the final third, affording his teammates greater room to manoeuvre. He progresses forward, drawing two defenders out of position, which his forward notices and takes advantage of as Sonora plays him in for a one-v-one.

Sonora’s aforementioned crossing ability can be seen below. As established, he is best when afforded a dead ball situation and with plenty of runners ahead of him. Independiente has a free man at the back post; however, an adequate delivery is required, which Sonora delivers. He whips the ball in with a balance of power and height, which means all his teammate has to do is tap it in, ideal for both parties.

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Sonora remains an effective if not perhaps overly ambitious creator in even tighter spaces. This ambition can often become frustrating as not every pass has to be a line-splitting goal manufacturing delivery; however, given the number of chances he will be afforded, this mentality would be welcomed at Rangers.

Below we can see an example. Despite the presence of five defenders between him and the intended destination of his pass, he plays, somehow circumventing all five and arriving at the feet of the desired runner who squares it to his teammate for an open-goal tap in.

A lack of ambition and creativity is often thrown towards the Rangers squad, as it is only compounded by the turgid 10-man blocks regularly seen domestically. Sonora’s trigger-happy and ambitious passing style could be a sight for sore eyes. However, results must accompany it as fans, teammates, and staff will likely lose patience if there is an absence in this regard.

Finishing and Firing from Deep

Like many highly-technical midfield operators, Sonora enjoys a shot at goal, often from a serious distance. The graphic below shows the totality of his attempts in the past calendar year. The vast majority came from outside the box, with a single solitary shot coming from closer than the penalty spot (a goal funnily enough). Sonora can generate substantial pace and movement in his strikes and, as such, has scored four times from a distance, something only achieved by genuine skill or a slice of luck.

There is an absence of a skilled long-distance shooter in the Rangers squad. Sonora would happily take up this mantle and likely increase his shots per90. Like in the case of crossing, Sonora is an attractive dead-ball option, often scoring from free-kicks with his favoured and effective left foot. His movement in the box is limited, so in a stylistic sense, he is not a third-man runner or goalscorer like Aribo or Arfield. His contribution to goals is unique in for a Ranger, with maybe Haris Vukcic being the last to pose a similar problem from deep.

Fit and Feasibility

Sonora is an interesting prospect for Rangers to consider. Given his contract and Independiente's financial turmoil, he will be available for next to nothing or actually free if Rangers are willing to wait. Given his age and obvious technical ability, securing his signature as a free agent appears worthwhile.

But, for a fee, this writer is less bullish, as much of what he can do, Hagi is also capable of. If the upper management cannot guarantee the presence of either Aribo or Hagi come the 2023/24 season, which is likely given Aribo's deal is expiring that summer, Sonora could be a good option to arrive at Ibrox in January 2023.