Danny Rohl assesses Rangers chances of luring Tottenham loanee back to Ibrox as Youssef Chermiti steals the show on final day with Falkirk hat-trick
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Danny Rohl insists Rangers must remain on the “front foot” and do everything in their power to lure Tottenham Hotspur winger Mikey Moore back to Ibrox next season.
The 18-year-old signed off his successful loan spell by contributing an assist as Rangers bought the curtain down on a dismal campaign with a 5-2 victory over Falkirk to end a four-match losing streak. Moore left the pitch with ten minutes remaining to a rapturous reception from the away fans who led chants of “one more year”.
Amid ongoing uncertainty over which division Tottenham will be playing in next term, the North London club are yet to make a decision on his future, with new boss Roberto Di Zerbi expected to cast his eye over the attacker during pre-season.
Rohl has suggested that Rangers may need to play the waiting game with regards to Moore’s potential availability but has doubled down on his desire to bring the youngster back to Govan should the opportunity arise.
“We are very clear as a club with what we want with Mikey but there are three parties,” the German boss responded when quizzed on whether he will prioritise a return for Moore during his summer recruitment. “We are just one of them. Mikey fits really well here and I totally believe we can get him to the next level as well. Also, his relationship with Tuur next season could give us a strong left-side. But we have to do a lot of things right now.
“We have to be patient with Mikey but also on the front foot. We’re clear and we will try everything. Maybe if there’s a chance and it makes sense to wait for him, we will wait. But if you ask me, I want to have him straight from pre-season when I prepare my team for a good start to the season. That’s important because we can’t allow ourselves to come so far from behind. We have to start really well and strong. We have to work hard to get a great start.”
Youssef Chermiti bagged a hat-trick for the visitors on the final day to take his tally to 15 in his debut season, with Djeidi Gassama and Thelo Aasgaard also on the scoresheet, cancelling out Jack Butland’s own goal and Calvin Miller’s penalty in a goal-laden first half.
And Rohl insists it’s crucial the £8m Portuguese forward remains part of his team’s “core” next season amid fresh reports linking the 21-year-old with a summer move to FC Porto. The Rangers boss will carry out a squad revamp but wants the ex-Everton striker to be a central part of his plans going forward.
“No question,” he replied to being asked if he is convinced Chermiti can be a key player next term. “I spoke to Youssef on the pitch. I also spoke to him about eight weeks ago and we talked about goals. Not just in big games but the ones where he has to score. Youssef has quality and he gives me a lot of hope that he’ll be here straight from the first day next season.
“He’s needed a bit of time to settle in but in the second half of the season, he’s done a great job. After a tough week with three games in a row, he’s still on the pitch trying to fight and run. This is what I saw in him from the beginning and now we’ve added on some goals. We need to keep a core. It’s important to continue with that but also important to have fresh blood and energy with new players.”