REPORT: A continental striker scores his fourth goal in a row to raise a rumored £2.5 million Rangers transfer query.

Sam Lammers, an Utrecht loanee, initially drew the attention of former Rangers manager Michael Beale while he was a Chelsea development coach.

After Sam emerged from PSV Eindhoven’s youth academy, the Englishman was impressed by the lanky striker, and Beale insisted that he had been following Sam’s progress ever since.

Rangers moved in the summer to sign the former Dutch youth international after his €9 million (£7.7 million) transfer from PSV Eindhoven to Atalanta failed to realize his supposedly unrealized potential.

But it took a return to his native country for Sam Lammers to ultimately recover his form following that stuttering spell in Scotland, which came after trying times in Italy and Germany.

For Utrecht, Sam Lammers scores once more.

Sam Lammers has been the subject of a lot of writing lately as he is having a prolific goal-scoring season with Utrecht.

The forward scored another goal in Utrecht’s 5-1 thumping of PEC Zwolle, extending his goal scoring streak to four games in a row.

It’s hardly the work of the “number 10” Beale had in mind, showcasing his predatory six-yard box instincts to respond to the ball coming off the post as quickly as possible.

Sam has scored five goals in twelve Eredivisie games, so it’s obvious that the forward has benefited from his return to the Netherlands.

The manager of Utrecht, Ron Jans, has been candid about the Dutch team’s intention to recruit the forward on a permanent basis, citing Rangers’ demands of £2.5 million as a source of contention.

However, Ibrox supporters who are watching a player who is officially one of their own rip it up while on loan will actually be interested in the scenario.

Stats from Sam Lammers’ Utrecht

Assists/xA – 3/1.71 Goals/xG – 5/6.51 Touches/in opposing box – 521/66 Shots/on target – 40/15

Winning percentage of duels: 83/47.7%

Wins in fouls: 14 Wins in tackles as a percentage: 14/70%

Rangers back in action?

Given the circumstances, many Rangers fans would understandably be questioning if Sam Lammers has what it takes to succeed at Ibrox.

If Utrecht are not willing to meet Rangers’ asking price – bearing in mind the Ibrox club paid £3.5m to sign Lammers in the summer – then he will be returning to Glasgow.

Three of the four years remaining on his contract, which he signed last summer, are still in Scotland, so things are very much up in the air for both Rangers and the striker.

Sam Lammers will be totally focused on Utrecht for the foreseeable future, but Rangers will be closely monitoring his progress as he continues to improve in the Netherlands.

Since Robert Fleck left the Rangers academy almost 40 years ago, the team hasn’t produced a consistent goal scorer, and we don’t appear to be getting any closer.

A first team squad spot awaits those with the appropriate mentality and skill, as demonstrated by Ross McCausland’s elevation by Gers manager Philippe Clement. A few players have hinted that they could make the move.

Not many leave Rangers and go on to better things and, in Dapo Mebude, there is a talented youngster who can’t wait to get back

Could Rangers return be a reality for Dapo Mebude?

Under Steven Gerrard, Mebude was part of the youth team that featured players like Billy Gilmour, Nathan Patterson, Kai Kennedy and Leon King.

Though it has never exactly worked out that way, there were strong expectations that a core group of them would regularly make the jump to the first team.

I often wonder if Gilmour would have chosen differently if he had waited another six months and for the arrival of Steven Gerrard. Gilmour left the club when it was in disarray.

Kennedy got too big for his own boots (his words, not mine), Patterson was sold for a then-record price, and King, a highly gifted player, has found it difficult to build on his breakout season as a youngster.

It was Dapo Mebude that Gerrard spoke highly of at the time and there were genuine hopes of a promotion to the first team:

“I think young Dapo has a huge future, he has big potential.

“He is probably not ready to be thrown into the deep end just yet but I think he will be ready for a cameo. There is no doubt about it, he will play for Rangers at some point.”

Mebude is waking up.

After a few years, several loan periods, and even more clubs, things haven’t quite turned out that way.

However, the 22-year-old had a bit of a revelation following a nearly fatal vehicle accident, which made him realize what he had and the opportunity he was letting pass him by.

Mebude, who was a fixture in Scotland young teams up to the Under-21 level, is now focused on fulfilling his potential at Oostende, according to The Athletic.

“I’d like to return to the Rangers someday. At Ibrox, I would adore being the primary man who scores goals. I live there.

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