'Absolutely Sensational' - Pundit blown away amid breakout season from physical striker Rangers want

Derek Ferguson isn’t convinced that Theo Bair has done enough yet to justify a Rangers move despite a breakout season at Motherwell.

The Athletic reported on 23 June that both the Light Blues and Old Firm rivals Celtic were showing interest in the Canadian international, as well as clubs in Germany.

While Ferguson admits he saw the forward look “absolutely sensational” last term he credits Stuart Kettlewell with a lot of the improvement in the 23-year-old after a comparatively rough time at St. Johnstone previously, and isn’t sold on the Gers moving for him this summer.

Speaking exclusively to Ibrox News he said: “I don’t know because he struggled for a period of time at St. Johnstone. He looked out of sorts, gets to Motherwell, and I think a lot of that goes down to Stuart Kettlewell, he’s done a really good job with him.

“I watched him three or four times last season. He’s got a good physicality about him. I actually watched a game where he played against Dundee, and for the last half-hour of the game he was absolutely sensational, so you can see there is a player in there.

“But, and the big but is, why’s a guy whose 24 not been picked up by a bigger club? Why did he struggle at St. Johnstone? So there’s always a wee question mark for me there. 

“You can see the ingredients are there, he’s got the physicality and he can finish. But it’s the whole thing that you’ll hear me say and some of the other guys that have played with Rangers or Celtic, can you handle what goes with it? So that’s the big question.

“But he’s had a good season for Motherwell, but is that enough to entice Rangers to go for him? I’m not too sure.”

Stuart Kettlewell credited for growth in Rangers target at Fir Park

Philippe Clement may have signed Hamza Igamane to add to his striking options the expected departures of both the ineffective Sam Lammers [Rangers Review, 29 May] and the inconsistent Cyriel Dessers [Rangers Review, 3 July] suggest another senior option is sure to be required.

Bair had never scored more than four times in a single season across his entire career before he exploded with 15 league goals last season.

That put him behind only Dessers, James Tavernier, Celtic’s Matt O’Riley and another pair of Ibrox-linked goal scorers in Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland and Aberdeen star Bojan Miovski [Scottish Daily Mail, 1 July].

One of the latter two names would look like better bets for success if a deal could be done, but Bair would be far from the first player to turn out to be a late bloomer if he is able to keep up his Motherwell form.

In other Rangers news, an official announcement has been trailed by a club’s technical director as they want a multimillion pound Ibrox ace.

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