- Rangers in talks to sign 22-year-old Dundee defender
- Graham was previously on loan at Falkirk
- Will Scottish players be the heart of Rohl’s summer plans?
Rangers are in talks to strike a deal with Dundee for defender Luke Graham as Danny Rohl looks to enact his long-term vision for the club.
The 22-year-old defender is a product of the Dens Park youth academy and has previously held loan spells at Falkirk.
Therefore, Graham understands the nature of Scottish football and that coupled with his Premiership experience, it is understandable why Rohl is interested in his services.
Focus on homegrown talent
If the Gers were to, as sources suggest, complete a deal for the defender, he would become the sixth Scottish player in the Rangers squad.
This figure will grow when young midfielder Findlay Curtis returns from being on loan at Kilmarnock.
Curtis has impressed for relegation threatened Killie, having scored in their 2-0 victory against Livingston and has added a Scotland first team international call up to his CV.
It could be argued that Rohl has missed a trick in sending the 19-year-old for a loan spell and his return could coincide with Graham signing on the dotted line.
Therefore, this could signal that Rohl’s strategy going forward is focusing on bringing talented Scottish Premiership footballers into the team while also converting academy graduates into regular starters.
Non-Scottish signings struggling to acclimatise
Nigerian international Emmanuel Fernandez is one example of a footballer who has grown accustomed to life in the goldfish bowl that is Ibrox.
However, what has become apparent is that although international footballers do thrive in Scottish football, some can struggle to acclimatise.
The much revered January transfer signing Andreas Skov Olsen has struggled to have an impact thus far and with six games remaining, it remains to be seen whether the option to sign permanently will be green lit.
It is said that you never really understand the pressure of wearing the Rangers jersey until you do and for non-domestic footballers, who have not played in Scotland before, it must be difficult to adjust.
However, playing for Rangers means there is an expectation that you need to hit the ground running and Rohl may be eyeing up those who are aware of that.
Read Rangers Analysis
In Rangers’ final season under the late Walter Smith, Rangers had 17 Scottish players.
Times have changed since then and Scottish footballers, especially the younger age bracket, featuring in the top-flight is arguably on the decline.
Rangers’ Hall of Fame consists of Ally McCoist, Allan McGregor to Andy Goram and Davie Cooper who were part of the club’s greatest domestic triumphs.
As Rohl prepares his summer plans, could signing Luke Graham be the beginning of a shift to developing new Scottish stalwarts at Rangers in the years to come?
