This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict’ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Middlesbrough have been credited with an interest in Rangers defender Jack Simpson, as per a report from The Sun.
The 25-year-old has seen a lack of game time since joining the Scottish champions from Bournemouth in the summer, with the central defender appearing just four times in all competitions.
An update from Teesside Live has suggested that Middlesbrough are yet to follow up their interest with an official bid.
Middlesbrough are currently looking to strengthen this January as they prepare for a push for Championship promotion under Chris Wilder.
Three of our writers here at FLW have shared their thoughts regarding this potential deal...
George Dagless
I think they'd certainly be getting a player who will feel he has a point to prove.
His time at Rangers has not gone anywhere near as well as he would have liked and it would make sense for him to be ending his spell at Ibrox as soon as possible.
Sometimes this happens for players and the best thing to do is move on and get a chance elsewhere where they can restart their career.
Simpson is a good player at the end of the day, and just needs the opportunity to really display that, and I think at Middlesbrough under Chris Wilder who usually gets the very best out of centre-backs, we could see him do well.
Alfie Burns
Wilder probably needs to target this area of his Middlesbrough squad during the remainder of the January transfer window.
He’s landed one of his striker targets in Aaron Connolly and it appears that Folarin Balogun will not be far behind him.
Boro have good midfield options and wing-back depth, so the next step is strengthening the back-three.
Sol Bamba and Lee Peltier are at the wrong ends of their career, whilst Paddy McNair, you could argue, would be better utilised in midfield.
Simpson, then, could be a solid addition to just add that bit more depth to Boro’s defensive unit during the second-half of the season.
He’s an affordable target and someone that would suit the system, so it makes a lot of sense for Wilder.
Ned Holmes
If Simpson is a player that Chris Wilder feels will aid his promotion push this term, then Middlesbrough should be looking to sign him.
We know that Wilder asks a lot of his central defenders, both in and out of possession, and that they play a key part in his system so if it's an area that he feels needs bolstering then he should be backed.
The likes of Paddy McNair, Dael Fry, Sol Bamba, and Anfernee Dijksteel are all strong options but adding a bit more depth won't hurt – particularly given the risk of losing players due to isolation.
Simpson's move north of the border hasn't worked out so far and he'll likely be looking to prove himself, which could play into Boro's favour.
They seem to have made some strong attacking additions already, so bolstering the backline makes sense as well.