Glasgow Rangers welcomed Vaclav Cerny to Ibrox on Friday as Philippe Clement added some much-needed quality to his attacking options.
The Czech winger was only linked at the start of the week, but things moved rather swiftly. Hopefully, future deals will be conducted with this speed, especially as the Premiership opener against Hearts is just a week away.
The Light Blues could disrupt the Jambos rhythm by making a bid for Lawrence Shankland ahead of the clash, as the striker has been linked yet again with a move along the M8 to Glasgow in recent days.
The ongoing saga will likely continue until the final few days of the transfer window, but there is no doubt the Scotland international would do well at Rangers should he link up with Clement and co.
It appears that the Belgian could be set to target an alternative to Shankland should a deal fail to materialise for the former Dundee United hitman.
This comes in the shape of a Championship striker who previously spent time in Scotland…
Rangers reportedly interested in Championship centre-forward
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, QPR striker Lyndon Dykes has seemingly emerged as a target for Clement in recent days.
This isn’t the first time that the Australian-born Scotland international has been linked with a move north of the border. Last summer, Michael Beale looked like he was eyeing up a swoop for his former player as he had just one year left on his current deal.
Not long after, he signed a new contract until 2026, which led to the Gers cooling off their interest, but it now looks like they could be back in for him this summer.
According to Football Transfers, Dykes’ current market valuation stands at €2.1m (£1.7m), which means Clement would have to shell out a fee in order to bring him to Ibrox.
Considering his scoring rate over the last two seasons, the move wouldn’t be universally popular, that’s for sure.
Lyndon Dykes’ statistics at QPR
The 28-year-old made his name at Livingston. He starred for the club during his one and only full season with them during the 2019/20 campaign, having scored 23 goals for Queen of the South prior to this.
His solitary season at Livi saw the striker net 12 goals and grab ten assists across 36 matches. This included a goal against Celtic during a famous 2-0 victory and these performances led to interest from down south.
|
Lyndon Dykes’ QPR statistics |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
|
2023/24 |
43 |
7 |
1 |
|
2022/23 |
40 |
8 |
3 |
|
2021/22 |
37 |
9 |
3 |
|
2020/21 |
43 |
12 |
5 |
Former Gers manager Steven Gerrard even dubbed the player as “quite dangerous” before facing Livi, showing how respected the striker was.
Since the summer of 2020, Dykes has played 163 games for the London side, finding the back of the net on 36 occasions, while chipping in with 12 assists.
The previous two seasons have seen his scoring rate decrease, however, netting just 15 goals in 83 appearances, hardly the prolific centre-forward that Clement so desperately requires.
It certainly wasn’t for the lack of trying, as Dykes averaged 1.5 shots per game, but he also missed six big chances throughout the Championship campaign.
If the Light Blues somehow do end up bringing him north of the border, then the club would just be repeating their James Beattie disaster class from 2010.
How much James Beattie cost Rangers
At one stage, many moons ago now, Beattie was among one of the finest English strikers in the Premier League.
His spell at Southampton was the most productive, reaching its peak during the 2002/03 season where he scored an impressive 24 goals in all competitions for the Saints.
A move to Everton looked like it could take Beattie to the next level, yet he only spent two and a half years at Goodison Park before moving to the Championship to join Sheffield United.
A return to form at the Blades – registering 34 times in 84 matches – led to another move to the Premier League, this time to join Stoke City, but his return to the promised land didn’t exactly go to plan, scoring just two goals.
Following a second successive league title, the late Walter Smith was keen on bolstering his side in order to maintain the momentum he had built up during his second spell in charge of the Light Blues.
The likes of Vladimir Weiss and Nikica Jelavic joined, but towards the end of the transfer window, a move for Beattie materialised.
The striker cost £1.5m and signed on a two-year deal. Smith was clearly hoping he could teach the old dog new tricks upon his arrival, but his spell at the Light Blues was dismal, to say the least.
James Beattie’s Rangers statistics
The former England international failed to set the Scottish top flight on fire, making a total of just ten appearances for the Light Blues under Smith, failing to score a solitary goal.
Thankfully, Smith could count on the likes of Kenny Miller, Steven Naismith and Jelavic for goals, as Beattie failed to adapt to the game north of the border, starting just six times before joining Blackpool in January 2011.
It wasn’t to be for Beattie at Ibrox and the same thing could happen to Dykes if he makes the move to the club. While he may find the back of the net more than the summer signing from 14 years ago, he isn’t the required quality that Clement needs in order to push for a title challenge next season.
Pushing to sign a player such as Shankland would make much more sense for the Belgian, although it could cost the club a pretty penny in doing so.
The Ibrox faithful want to see a team who can fight tooth and nail domestically, while also delivering solid performances in Europe.
Dykes may hold the ball up well, but his scoring rate over the last couple of seasons has been dreadful. Best to avoid this one at all costs and go after more prolific targets.
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