Gerrard’s keenness to shop in Croatian football is odd in light of mixed success

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Rangers have taken young midfielder Mile Todorov on trial as they continue their search to strengthen their squad this month, according to the Scottish Sun.

They report that the Macedonian teenager has been at the Hummel Training Centre this week trying to earn a deal and played in a reserve game a matter of days ago.

Todorov plays in the Croatian third-tier for NK Novigrad and continues Steven Gerrard’s trend of shopping in the country of the beaten World Cup finalists for value.

He snapped up Nikola Katic, Eros Grezda and Borna Barisic from Croatian football during the summer but it would be wrong to say that any of that trio has been an unqualified success at Ibrox.

Katic and Barisic have shown signs of what they can do at the back, but neither man has been able to nail down a settled spot in the side – although Barisic’s season has been afflicted by injury problems.

Grezda has suffered similar bad luck on the fitness front but it is somewhat strange that Gerrard is so determined to shop in the same market given that a large chunk of his summer investment went there, for no real consistent return.

Todorov may prove to be a smart, cut-price signing, but the signings from Croatia are still adjusting in truth, and the young man may suffer with similar pitfalls.