Report: Rangers won't loan out 20-year-old youngster, staff think he has big future at Ibrox

By Ben Evans

According to The Athletic, highly regarded Glasgow Rangers youngster Charlie McCann won’t go out on loan this season.

The Nothern Ireland under-21 international is expected to have a very good chance of breaking into the first team at Ibrox, but may struggle to make an impact this season at Rangers, given the number of senior players ahead of him in the squad.

McCann tends to play as a holding midfielder, but already has the likes of Glen Kamara, John Lundstram and Scott Arfield ahead of him in the pecking order, although the sale of Joe Aribo to Southampton has opened up a spot in the squad.

Rangers have decided to hand several senior members of the squad, including Arfield, one-year contract extensions, which is likely to make it more difficult for young players to progress at Ibrox this campaign.

Does sending McCann out on loan make sense?

Since joining Rangers from Manchester United last summer for a fee of £750,000, McCann spent much of last season with Rangers B team.

McCann came off the bench twice in the Scottish FA Cup, and made his league debut at the end of the season against Dundee United.

It was clear then that Giovanni van Bronckhorst has spotted McCann’s potential, but with his senior minutes likely to be limited again, a loan move feels like the right decision on this occasion.

Another year playing Lowland League football for the B team, or struggling to get minutes off the bench for the first team, will have limited benefits for McCann.

However, there is an argument that he’ll be training with some of the best players in Scotland if he stays, including a new international striker who has linked up with the squad, and that might be the reason Rangers end up keeping the 20-year-old at Ibrox.