Steven Gerrard has been searching far and wide for the dynamic midfielder that is seen as the final piece of his Rangers jigsaw.
But one potential solution could be right on his doorstep after Glen Kamara played another starring role in a similar position for Finland.
The £50,000 bargain buy from Dundee has excelled as a defensive midfielder alongside Ryan Jack in the Light Blues engine room.
But the 24-year-old has been transformed into an attacking box-to-box midfielder by Finnish national team boss Markku Kanerva.
And Mixu Paatelainen believes it’s a position he could take up for Rangers with Gerrard the perfect man to help add a goal threat.
Kamara was a standout for his country in their 1-0 Nations League win over Ireland in Dublin on Sunday night with match stats showing his 83 touches and 69 passes - with a 94.2 per cent success rate - was more than any other Finnish player.
And former Finland manager Paatelainen, now boss of the Hong Kong national team, reckons it’s a position where he could hurt the opposition for Gers.
The ex-Hibs, Dundee United and Kilmarnock gaffer said: “Glen has been a sitting midfielder during his time in Scotland but for Finland he plays in the number eight role - getting up and down, on the ball and making things happen.
“It’s great for the strikers like Teemu Pukki who like to run behind the line because Glen’s passing ability from the midfield is crucial.
“The role suits Glen really well and benefits the team a lot but I can understand that it might be hard for Scottish football fans to understand given he is known as a defensive midfielder.
“But Glen’s a very athletic guy and an easy runner so he can play that role no problem and it’s been a masterstroke from the manager Markku Kanerva to play him there.
“The captain Tim Sparv is a solid sitting midfielder and also a very good passer and it’s a great combination between the two with Glen getting forward.
“It’s an option for Steven Gerrard to play Glen in that position for Rangers but I have to say that I don’t think he has a lot of goal threat from that position.
“If you want a number eight who gets in the box and even goes beyond the strikers and gets to the edge of the box and has a shot from there then I don’t think Glen is that type.
“He’s not like Steven Gerrard was himself as a player in his prime but who better to teach Glen to play that role than Steven Gerrard himself?”
Finland have qualified for next summer’s European Championships and Paatelainen reckons that is the perfect stage for Kamara, who came through the youth ranks at Arsenal, to shine.
He said: “It’s hard to believe he only cost Rangers £50,000 and when Finland go to the Euros next summer it will be another feather in his cap and a chance to develop further.
“He’s always been a good passer of the ball and a good footballer and playing in Scotland and being given responsibility in the Rangers team has helped him develop. The Scottish game can be a rough, high tempo game and it’s helped his development.”
