Glasgow Rangers could be set to face a transfer battle over Arsenal centre-back Auston Trusty this summer as new interest has emerged from the Championship for the 24-year-old defender and this could tempt Michael Beale into acting swiftly.
Could Rangers sign Auston Trusty this summer?
The Ibrox side were first linked with the American back in May and The Athletic claimed that the Light Blues were still keen on the player last month, with Beale aiming to bolster his defensive options at the club.
There hasn’t been much more progress on a potential move, although with Leon King suffering a serious injury which will keep him out for the foreseeable future and Leon Balogun signing a one-year deal as cover, the 42-year-old will still be hoping another centre-back arrives this summer.
Championship outfit Ipswich Town have now shown interest in Trusty, according to the East Anglian Daily Times, and if Beale really wants the USMNT defender through the door at Ibrox, a move must now be acted upon – sooner rather than later.
What could Auston Trusty offer Rangers?
If the Gers did lure him to the Premiership, then they could well be signing a player who is capable of playing at a better level, with Birmingham City manager John Eustace saying:
“He's been a pleasure to work with, his training standards have been very high, he never misses a day, and I think he's taken to the level quite easily.
“You can see he's going to go back to Arsenal as a Premier League player.”
The 6 foot 3 brute offers a commanding aerial presence at the heart of the defence, as he won 3.1 aerial duels per game for Birmingham in the Championship last term and only John Souttar among the centre-backs at Rangers won more aerial duels per game (3.3), suggesting he could slot in fairly easily.
The £18k-per-week gem was highly influential during his loan spell in the second tier, ranking as the third-best player in the squad, as per Sofascore, whilst also ranking first for interceptions (1.5), second for tackles (2.3) and fourth for clearances (four) per game as he displayed his excellent defensive abilities throughout the season.
Trusty was so impressive that these numbers would rank him first in the Rangers squad across all three of these defensive metrics, indicating that he would be an ideal signing and could be a perfect partner for Connor Goldson.
The Englishman has been a stalwart for the Gers since joining in 2018, missing just 17 games in total due to injury across five seasons, and he was the highest-rated centre-back in the first-team for his performances last term, helping his side keep 14 clean sheets across 25 matches.
Rangers conceded 15 goals during the 13 matches that he missed through injury however, clearly suggesting they are much more solid at the back when he is fit.
Having been lauded as “incredible” by teammate George Friend for his displays last term, Trusty certainly wouldn’t be fazed by playing regularly for Rangers and with the club aiming to secure a place in the Champions League group stages for the second year in a row, this is surely a much bigger incentive rather than playing in the Championship for Ipswich.