Brandon Barker’s loan spell at Oxford United ended in disappointment after they crashed out of the play-offs, and his performances there did little to suggest that he will make it at Rangers next season, so Steven Gerrard should axe the winger from Ibrox this summer.
The former Manchester City man joined the English League One outfit on loan in the winter transfer window and has been a regular in Karl Robinson’s side for the second half of the season as they reached the play-offs.
The 24-year-old made 21 appearances in total for the U’s, contributing three goals and four assists and averaging a solid 7.01 rating from WhoScored for his performances.
Should Barker be sold this summer?
Yes
No
However, he failed to impress when it mattered most, earning disappointing 6.29/10 and 6.3/10 ratings in the recent play-off games against Blackpool, which saw Oxford lose 6-3 on aggregate and fail to reach Wembley, where they could have earned the chance to earn promotion to the Championship.
Perhaps Barker was always likely to struggle to reclaim a starting space in Gerrard’s side next season, considering the manager will have the likes of Ryan Kent, Scott Wright and new signing Fashion Sakala available to him as options on the left wing, and this latest setback could be the nail in the coffin for the 24-year-old’s time at Ibrox.
Since signing from Manchester City in the summer of 2019, the Englishman has made only 26 appearances for the Gers, in which he has managed just three goals and no assists.
His contract at Ibrox is set to expire at the end of next season, which suggests that a summer exit could well be on the cards if Rangers are to recoup any money for him rather than potentially losing him for nothing in 2022.
Although Barker has shown glimpses of his ability, with Gerrard lauding his “dangerous” style of play in 2020, he has been far too inconsistent and has done little to show that he would be capable of playing in the Champions League next season.
Therefore, after this unfortunate setback for the winger, it seems likely that his time at Rangers could well be up.
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