49ers could sign the best finisher since Morelos at Ibrox

If there is to be a deciding factor in the Premiership title race, it could all come down to the strength of the centre-forwards. Does Danny Rohl really boast the attacking firepower to lead Rangers to the title at Ibrox?

Summer signings Youssef Chermiti and Bojan Miovski have shown promise since Rohl’s arrival, although the pair have scored just seven league goals between them in 2025/26, with skipper James Tavernier still leading the way with five top-flight goals of his own.

Chermit’s derby double has eased the pressure on his young shoulders somewhat, although the £8m man is in danger of heading the way of the Gers’ recent striker signings, namely the likes of Danilo, Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers.

Throw into the mix figures such as Antonio Colak and Fashion Sakala, and there has been so much upheaval in the centre-forward ranks in recent years, with no one coming close to matching Alfredo Morelos’ impact in Glasgow.

Love him or loathe him, the Colombian scored goals aplenty – could the Light Blues finally fill that sizeable void this month?

Rangers could hold advantage in race to sign in-demand striker

One look at the Premiership scoring charts provides a clear indication of why Hearts have maintained their title push, with the Jambos blessed with both Claudio Braga and Lawrence Shankland through the middle, the two men netting 20 times between them this season.

Two of the other five top scorers this season are Hibernian’s Kieron Bowie and Motherwell’s Tawanda Maswanhise, two young forwards who have both been linked with a move to Ibrox.

Martin O’Neill’s Celtic are also in the mix for that pair, as they reportedly were for Leeds United’s Joel Piroe in recent weeks, albeit with that interest ultimately falling flat.

As per Football Insider, there could well be an opportunity for Rangers to pounce to sign the Suriname international instead, considering the link between the two clubs.

Indeed, as per the report, Rohl and Co do have a possible advantage, should they wish to pursue the 26-year-old, due to the fact that 49ers’ Enterprises own both Rangers and Leeds, with Paraag Marathe a central figure at both clubs.

Such a connection seemingly put paid to Celtic’s pursuit, but why should Rangers not at least try their luck with a move of their own?

Why Piroe could be Rangers’ best finisher since Morelos

As already stated, the wait goes on for someone to truly pick up Morelos’ mantle in Glasgow, with the 29-year-old having scored 124 goals in 269 games for the club in all competitions, prior to his free transfer exit in 2023.

He certainly wasn’t perfect, but there was a ruthless streak to his game in front of goal, having not missed more than 13 ‘big chances’ in his final three seasons at Ibrox, as per Sofascore.

For comparison, the aforementioned Dessers missed 27 and 20 ‘big chances’, respectively, in his two full seasons at the club, highlighting that real drop off in quality through the middle.

With Chermiti and Miovski both really failing to get going, Piroe could well be the man to end this long-standing wait for a truly clinical number nine, with the Netherlands-born marksman boasting a stellar record south of the border.

While currently on the periphery at Premier League level, the left-footer had consistently delivered over the previous four seasons in England’s second tier, across his time at Leeds and former club Swansea City.

He scored at least 19 goals in three of those four campaigns, albeit while still reaching double figures in 2023/24, when he netted 13 times in his first year at Leeds. His rate of missed chances also mirrors nicely with that of Morelos.

Such reliability is even more impressive considering the EFL Championship is deemed to be the seventh-best league in the world, as per Global Football Rankings, ensuring he should be able to hit the ground running in the Premiership.

Piroe’s quality can also be seen in the fact that Leeds boss Daniel Farke even deemed him to be the “best finisher” he has worked with in his career, even above his former Norwich City talisman – and one-time Celtic flop – Teemu Pukki.

Whether Rangers actually do exploit their link to Elland Road to land Piroe remains to be seen, although it would be foolish not to at least ask the question, even if just on loan.

Rohl, with just one Premiership defeat to date, is doing all the right things, but the lack of a true, Morelos-style number nine could be the difference between ending the season empty-handed or not.