Barrie delivers Antonio Colak assessment

Sky Sports staff and writer for Rangers Review Joshua Barrie has claimed that Antonio Colak can play a “huge role” for Michael Beale’s side.

The Lowdown: Hit the target

The Croatian forward is the Scottish Premier League’s top scorer in all competitions this season with 11 goals. Colak is three goals clear of Gers captain and right-back James Tavernier in second place.

All of the 29-year-old’s previous goals have come in Scotland’s top flight, where he has made 15 appearances this season.

Colak joined Glasgow last summer and signed for Greek club PAOK Thessaloniki for £1.8million plus benefits.

The Latest: Playing a Big Role

Barrie claims the forward could be a key player under Beale and gushed about his current goal tally this season, speaking on the Rangers Review YouTube channel.

He explained (24:57): “For me Colak will still play a big role under Michael Beale, he may not be the starting striker every week.

“If Morelos leaves in the summer, as is the case at the moment, because he has not signed a new contract, we will definitely have to replace him.

“But Colak’s 11 goals and 14 starts is a number on a weak side. At the beginning of the season who didn’t play well.

“It’s the kind of numbers we haven’t had in a while and what’s also going to give Beale is something he had at Hampden that changed the game is the ability to bring a goalscorer.”

The Verdict: A great eye-catching option

We think Colak is a great option for Rangers as he came on to score and he certainly did.

Current Blackburn Rovers boss Jon Dahl Tomasson mentored the striker when the two were at Malmo before joining the Gers. Speaking to The Scottish Sun before joining the club, he described Colak as an “excellent player” and someone with a “great attitude”.

Beale is likely to consider a possible replacement for Alfredo Morelos as his contract at Ibrox expires this summer. For now, he knows he has a reliable option in Colak until the end of the season.

There are other players in the squad to turn to in the likes of Kemar Roofe and Fashion Sakala, but neither of them has proven to have much of an impact in the 2022/23 season.

Rangers could have one of two approaches in the summer. The first is that they bring in a striker who is ready to play from the start.

Alternatively, they bring in someone younger and opt to use Colak as the captain up front as we think the 29-year-old has made a good case for himself with his goal return so far this season.